National Parks

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much has been allocated to each national park for each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: Defra has provided the following National Park Grants (figures prior to 2000–01 are estimates):
	
		
			 Authority £ 
		
		
			 Broads Authority  
			 1996–97 2,133,333 
			 1997–98 2,070,667 
			 1998–99 2,000,000 
			 1999–2000 2,224,000 
			 2000–01 2,212,000 
			 2001–02 2,411,261 
			 2002–03 2,801,437 
			 2003–04 3,196,877 
			 2004–05 3,065,680 
			 2005–06 3,933,182 
			   
			 Dartmoor National Park Authority  
			 1996–97 2,433,333 
			 1997–98 2,789,333 
			 1998–99 2,589,333 
			 1999–2000 2,858,667 
			 2000–01 2,863,000 
			 2001–02 3,127,480 
			 2002–03 3,721,705 
			 2003–04 4,177,323 
			 2004–05 3,965,325 
			 2005–06 4,308,058 
			 Exmoor National Park Authority  
			 1996–97 2,032,000 
			 1997–98 2,224,000 
			 1998–99 2,142,667 
			 1999–2000 2,377,333 
			 2000–01 2,369,000 
			 2001–02 2,582,842 
			 2002–03 3,059,765 
			 2003–04 3,518,950 
			 2004–05 3,290,756 
			 2005–06 3,616,422 
			   
			 Lake District National Park Authority  
			 1996–97 3,700,000 
			 1997–98 3,897,333 
			 1998–99 3,781,333 
			 1999–2000 4,144,000 
			 2000–01 4,180,000 
			 2001–02 4,640,000 
			 2002–03 5,460,856 
			 2003–04 6,107,102 
			 2004–05 6,050,672 
			 2005–06 6,290,679 
			   
			 New Forest National Park Authority(1)  
			 2005–06 3,517,297 
			   
			 Northumberland National Park Authority  
			 1996–97 1,448,000 
			 1997–98 1,732,000 
			 1998–99 1,578,667 
			 1999–2000 1,769,333 
			 2000–01 1,745,000 
			 2001–02 1,928,560 
			 2002–03 2,419,922 
			 2003–04 2,882,555 
			 2004–05 2,702,191 
			 2005–06 3,010,044 
			   
			 North York Moors National Park Authority  
			 1996–97 2,706,667 
			 1997–98 2,906,667 
			 1998–99 2,905,333 
			 1999–2000 3,380,000 
			 2000–01 3,212,000 
			 2001–02 3,565,239 
			 2002–03 4,224,936 
			 2003–04 4,677,842 
			 2004–05 4,678,157 
			 2005–06 4,933,864 
			   
			 Peak District National Park Authority  
			 1996–97 5,294,667 
			 1997–98 5,414,667 
			 1998–99 5,413,333 
			 1999–2000 5,904,000 
			 2000–01 5,984,000 
			 2001–02 6,223,073 
			 2002–03 6,721,617 
			 2003–04 7,361,069 
			 2004–05 7,422,471 
			 2005–06 7,542,550 
			   
			 Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority  
			 1996–97 2,605,333 
			 1997–98 2,805,333 
			 1998–99 2,912,000 
			 1999–2000 3,092,000 
			 2000–01 3,101,000 
			 2001–02 3,442,378 
			 2002–03 (2)4,583,616 
			 2003–04 (2)5,237,283 
			 2004–05 4,580,902 
			 2005–06 4,906,870 
		
	
	(1) National Park created 1 March 2005.
	2 Includes £500,000 capital grant towards new office accommodation.

Political Honours

Michael Meacher: To ask the Prime Minister why he abolished the political honours scrutiny committee.

Tony Blair: I refer my right hon. Friend to recommendation 10 of "Reform of the Honours System" (cm 6479). Copies are available in the Libraries of the House.

Working Hours

Michael Penning: To ask the Prime Minister what EU regulations govern his working hours; what opt outs exist to provide for him to surpass working hour regulations; what court cases are currently before the European courts reviewing the legality of these opt outs; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: Holders of political offices in the UK are not defined as "workers" under the terms of European working time legislation, and are therefore not subject to the working time limits: as such, they do not need to opt out.

Iraq

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make a statement on the training the UK is giving to Iraqi security forces. (44083)

John Reid: The United Kingdom is engaged in a number of training initiatives with the Iraqi security forces in Multi National Division (South East) and in Baghdad to enable the Iraqi Government to progressively take on responsibility for security.

Iraq

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what studies have been undertaken by his Department of the effects of depleted uranium on (a) Coalition forces, (b) Iraqi forces and (c) civilians in Iraq since May 2003; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: Information on the Ministry of Defence Depleted Uranium research programme was announced to the House on 14 March 2002, Official Report, columns 1179–80W. A more detailed description of the research has been published on the Departmental website (http://www.mod.uk/issues/depleted_uranium/index.htm). In addition to this, in June 2003, MOD scientists completed a preliminary technical assessment of a number of Iraqi tanks thought to have been struck by DU rounds. Very low levels of DU were found in the vicinity of and on the tanks. I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given in another place by my noble Friend the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Defence (Lord Bach) on 26 May 2004, Official Report, column 196WA. Biological monitoring has also been carried out on several hundred UK troops and civilians involved in operations in Iraq. No DU was detected in anyone other than a small number of personnel who received shrapnel injuries in an incident involving friendly fire.
	This research is not specifically directed at examining the effects on Iraqis as the health of the Iraqi people is primarily the responsibility of their Government. However, as announced in the House on 29 January 2001, Official Report, column 61W, in relation to operations in the Balkans, the UK will provide help and advice to assist the relevant authorities to decide what action, if any, is needed. This also applies to Iraq. As part of this commitment, MOD has provided United Nations Environment Programme with information on its use of DU munitions in Iraq in 2003 and with a report of its monitoring activities in June 2003.

Defence Training

Patrick McFadden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent representations he has received on the future of defence training; and if he will make a statement.

Don Touhig: The Defence Training Review is a complex programme with many stakeholders and interested parties. I have received many representations but as I have said in previous replies, a rigorous evaluation of bid proposals is currently underway.

Future Aircraft Carriers

Quentin Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the new aircraft carrier programme.

Adam Ingram: As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence announced on 14 December, we have taken major steps forward in our plans for the Future Aircraft Carriers.
	We have completed the detailed assessment work and have committed to the £300 million demonstration phase.
	An innovative shipbuilding strategy has been agreed which is central to our Defence Industrial Strategy with separate "super blocks" built at four yards and final assembly at Rosyth.
	This will create and sustain some 10,000 jobs in the United Kingdom.
	We are on course to provide the UK armed forces with the largest and most powerful warships ever constructed in the UK, and an expeditionary capability unparalleled outside of the US.

DCAE Cosford

Patrick McFadden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact (a) closure and (b) downsizing of DCAE Cosford may have on the (i) Shropshire and (ii) West Midlands economies.

Don Touhig: The Defence Training Review is currently evaluating the bidding consortia's proposals. Until this phase is complete and a decision has been taken to select a preferred training partner, I am not in a position to make any detailed comment on the potential impact on any site or region of the United Kingdom.

RAF Leeming

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of RAF Leeming.

Adam Ingram: As stated in my written ministerial statement of 17 January 2006, Official Report, column 25WS, I have decided, subject to trade unions consultation, that the RAF communications hub will be formed at RAF Leeming. This means that communications personnel would move from RAF Sealand to RAF Leeming by April 2006. Communications personnel from RAF Brize Norton and RAF High Wycombe would move to RAF Leeming in 2007.

Night Flying Restrictions

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether it is his policy to allow the overall number of night flights into and out of Heathrow airport to increase.

Karen Buck: We have published a consultation paper, "Night Flying Restrictions at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted Airports, Stage 2. of Consultation on Restrictions to apply from 30 October 2005". This invited views on proposals for future night flight restrictions. We are considering responses to that consultation and will announce our decisions in due course.

Public Transport

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the merits of a public transport (a) hub and (b) corridor for Aylesbury; and if he will make a statement.

Karen Buck: A public transport hub proposal for Aylesbury was provisionally approved for Community Infrastructure Fund (CIF) bid funding in March 2005. Ministers are expecting to announce the final decision on this shortly, as well as on other transport CIF proposals in Aylesbury.

Public Transport

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much money has been spent on improvements in transport infrastructure in Gravesham since 1997.

Karen Buck: Since the introduction of Local Transport Plans in 2000, Kent county council has received around £160 million for local transport improvements and maintenance schemes. In addition the county council has £16 million for the Kent Fasttrack public transport scheme.
	Between 1997 and 2000 the county council received approximately £159 million for local transport capital investment. £16 million was provided for the South Thames-side Development Route Section 4 (some of which is included in the £159 million). The Department does not have the data to identify a figure for all local transport investment in Gravesham.
	The Highways Agency's improvements have included the widening of the A2 between Bean and Cobham Phase One, costing £23 million. This work was completed in 2005.
	Kent has benefited from the new trains and associated power supply and depot upgrades delivered as part of the Mark 1 "slam door" stock replacement programme, the total value of the investment (benefiting Kent and other parts of London and the South East) being in the region of £2 billion.
	The Gravesham constituency has also benefited from the £4.6 billion Channel Tunnel Rail Link project, which includes a major new station within Gravesham constituency at Ebbsfleet, which will be served by international trains to Paris and Brussels from 2007 and high speed domestic trains to St. Pancras from 2009 (journey time Ebbsfleet to St. Pancras 16 minutes).

Public Transport

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to improve access to public transport for disabled people in Gravesham.

Karen Buck: We have introduced "accessibility planning" into the local transport planning process to encourage local authorities and other agencies to assess more systematically whether people can access transport services in their areas. This process covers all forms of transport from buses, coaches and taxis to cycling and walking networks. Making provision for disabled people is a condition against which the resulting Local Transport Plans (LTPs) are assessed.
	At a local level, we are supporting the continued introduction of low floor buses in Gravesham. The Kickstart project (services 495/498 between Kings Farm, Christianfields, Gravesend Town Centre, Pepper Hill and Bluewater), launched in March 2005, introduced low floor single deck buses to the route replacing minibuses which were inaccessible to wheelchair users. The introduction of the new vehicles was combined with a programme of work to introduce raised kerbs and bus boarders on this route.
	The Department continues to invest in accessibility improvements in Gravesham through LTP funding. Kent county council, Gravesham's local bus provider, Arriva and the Gravesham Access Group (which represents disabled people in the district) work in close partnership to identify priorities for funding. This includes identifying stops which require raised kerbing, dropped kerbs or hard standing.
	LTP funding has also resulted in a £14.5 million investment in Fastrack, the new bus based transit system serving Gravesend, which will have fully accessible vehicles and roadside infrastructure designed in accordance with current best practice. Due to commence in March 2006, Fastrack will have bus boarders at all Gravesham stops to complement the fleet of new low-floor vehicles, providing level access for all passengers. All Fastrack stops will also be fitted with real time information displays.
	Arriva estimates that at present over 70 per cent. of their Gravesham buses are low floor. They also endeavour to ensure that all staff receive disability awareness training.
	Rail services in Gravesham are also generally accessible, a situation that will be enhanced with the completion of Ebbsfleet station. When opened, this station will offer high standards of accessibility and will be served by trains which meet the Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations 1998 (RVAR) operating on the Integrated Kent Franchise. This will provide fast access to Stratford International and London St. Pancras stations (both of which will be fully accessible) and also south to Ashford International together with access to 'Eurostar' services to Belgium and France. The new station will have ample parking including convenient spaces reserved for disabled passengers.
	More generally disabled people in Gravesham, as elsewhere in the country, will also benefit from the provisions in the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 (DDA 2005). We have already laid regulations which will, from 4 December 2006, lift the transport exemption in Part 3 of the for land-based public transport, vehicle hire, breakdown services and vehicles used on leisure and tourism transport services. We will also be consulting shortly on draft regulations to set an "end date" of no later than 1 January 2020 when all trains will have to meet RVAR and to apply those regulations to older trains when they are refurbished.

Rail Modernisation Fund

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much of the Rail Modernisation Fund had been spent at the end of the financial year 2004–05.

Derek Twigg: We have invested some £7.7 billion between 2001–05 and plan to invest some £19 billion further by 2009.

Tram Schemes

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much direct Government funding has been allocated to proposed tram schemes in (a) Merseyside, (b) Manchester and (c) West Yorkshire; and what meetings he has attended where schemes were discussed in the past 10 months.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 15 December 2005
	I refer the hon. Member to my Statement to the House on 29 November 2005, Official Report, column 17WS, about Merseytram, and the Secretary of State's Statement on 3 November 2005, Official Report, column 60WS, about Leeds Supertram. These Statements made clear that funding was no longer available for these schemes.
	I also refer the hon. Member to the Secretary of State for Transport's Statement on 16 December 2004, Official Report, column 152WS, about Manchester Metrolink which confirmed that £520 million public funding would be made available to deal with transport problems in areas covered by Phase III. The £520 million budget included an up-front local contribution of £60 million, and £70 million to be recouped through deductions of £7 million per annum from Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive's Local Transport Plan allocations, for 10 years.
	The Secretary of State has attended frequent meetings with ministerial colleagues and officials to discuss a whole range of departmental policies.

Transport 2010 Document

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made towards meeting the targets in the Transport 2010 plan for (a) increased rail passenger kilometres and (b) increased rail freight.

Derek Twigg: Annual passenger rail use has increased from 38.2 billion passenger kilometres in April 2001 to 42.4 billion passenger kilometres at the end of March 2005. This represents an increase of 11 per cent.
	The amount of rail freight has increased from 18.1 billion net tonne kilometres in 2000–01 to 20.6 billion net tonne kilometres in 2004–05. This is an increase of almost 14 per cent.

Africa (Debt Repayments)

Ann McKechin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the value of bilateral debt repayments to the United Kingdom by each country in Africa was for (a) the calendar year 2005 and (b) financial year 2004–05; and what the expected value is for 2005–06.

John Healey: The following table shows the official bilateral debt payments received from African countries, and the debts cancelled, by the UK Government for the financial years 2004–05 and 2005–06. The figures for the 2005 calendar year are not held centrally within HM Treasury, DfID or the ECGD, and to gather all the information would incur disproportionate costs.
	
		
			 £ million 
			  2004–05 2005–06 
			 Market Recoveries Debt forgiveness Recoveries Debt forgiveness 
		
		
			 Algeria 17.800 — 20.227 — 
			 Botswana 0.02 — — — 
			 Cameroon — 5.782 — — 
			 Cote d'Ivoire — 0.956 — — 
			 D R Congo — 2.539 — — 
			 Egypt 12.153 — 12.966 — 
			 Ethiopia — 10.551 — — 
			 Gabon 8.249 — 19.155 — 
			 Ghana — 66.056 — — 
			 Kenya 2.422 — 0.595 — 
			 Madagascar — 24.064 — — 
			 Malawi — 0.079 — — 
			 Morocco 8.203 — 6.471 — 
			 Niger — 4.967 — — 
			 Nigeria 105.954 — 1,052.662 1,142.412 
			 Republic of Congo — 74.000 0.153 — 
			 Senegal — 0.143 — 0.881 
			 Sierra Leone — 0.052 — 0.001 
			 Zambia — 162.390 — — 
			 Zimbabwe 0.6 — 0.08 — 
			 Totals 155.383 351.579 1,112.223 1,143.294 
		
	
	1. Debt forgiveness figures as at 31 December 2005. There may be additional debt forgiveness before March 2006, but this cannot be estimated at present.
	2. The payments by Zimbabwe were for ODA loans given by DfID.
	3. The data for Botswana and Kenya include payments to CDC, formerly known as the Commonwealth Development Corporation.
	4. Debt relief figures do not include payments from DFID to ECGD to allow 100 per cent. cancellation of ECGD loans and reimbursements under the Hold in Trust policy. These amounted to about £12.5 million in 2004–05. The estimate for 2005–06 is £1.2 million.

Business Rates

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what amendments have been made to (a) regulations, (b) primary legislation and (c) legislation relating to the levying of business rates on domestic properties used in whole or part of business purposes since May 1997.

Phil Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
	None of the provisions in primary legislation or regulations which relate specifically to the rating of properties which are used for both domestic and non-domestic purposes has been amended since 1997.

Economic Inactivity (Beverley and Holderness)

Graham Stuart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in Beverley and Holderness under the age of 25 years were economically inactive in each year since 1997.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the national statistician who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 23 January 2006
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question concerning economic inactivity. (44318)
	The Office for National Statistics compiles statistics of inactivity for local areas from the annual local area Labour Force Survey (LFS) and the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation definitions.
	The attached table shows the numbers of inactive people aged 16 to 24, resident in the Beverley and Holderness constituency, for the 12 month periods ending February 1998 to February 2004 from the annual local area LFS, and for the 12 months ending March 2005 from the APS. The table also shows the figures as a percentage of the resident population aged 16 to 24.
	These estimates, as with any from sample surveys, are subject to a margin of uncertainty. Changes in the estimates from year to year should be treated with particular caution.
	
		Number of economically inactive persons aged 16 to 24 resident in the Beverley and Holderness parliamentary constituency
		
			  Economically inactive persons aged 16 to 24 
			 Twelve months ending: Level (thousand) Rate (percentage) 
		
		
			 February 1998 3 32 
			 February 1999 3 31 
			 February 2000 1 14 
			 February 2001 2 28 
			 February 2002 2 39 
			 February 2003 2 20 
			 February 2004 2 27 
			 March 2005 4 40 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Estimates are subject to sampling variability.
	2. Changes from year-to-year should be treated with particular caution.
	Source:
	Annual local area Labour Force Survey; Annual Population Survey.

Private Members' Clubs

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) working men's clubs and (b) other private members' clubs there were in England in the most recent year for which figures are available, broken down by local authority.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 23 January 2006
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many (a) working men's clubs and (b) other private members' clubs there were in England in the most recent year for which figures are available, broken down by local authority. (43532)
	Working men's clubs are included within the standard industrial classification (SIC) for licensed clubs. Private members' clubs are included within activities of other membership organisations not elsewhere classified. I am placing a table in the House of Commons Library showing the figures for licensed clubs (SIC 55401) and for activities of other membership organisations (SIC 91330).
	These figures are based on the criteria used in the National Statistics publication "UK Business: Activity, Size and Location for 2005", published on the National Statistics website: www.statistics.gov.uk/ukbusiness, and relate to the number of local units operated by businesses registered for VAT as at March 2005.
	All figures have been rounded to the nearest five to avoid disclosure.

VAT

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what items are exempt from VAT.

Dawn Primarolo: VAT exemption applies to a wide range of goods and services. Among the major categories are certain supplies of, or related to: land; insurance; financial services; postal services; education; health and welfare; charities; burial and cremation; betting and gaming; admission to certain cultural bodies; and subscriptions to trade unions and professional and public interest bodies.
	The full list of supplies of goods and services which are exempt from VAT can be found in schedule 9 of the Value Added Tax Act 1994 which is reproduced in HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) Notice 701/39, 'VAT liability law', which can found on HMRC's website at www.hmrc.gov.uk

Afghanistan

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans he has to provide alternative cash crops for opium producers in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: DFID leads the British Government's efforts to develop alternative livelihoods in Afghanistan. In the financial year of 2005–06, DFID is to spend over £45 million for this purpose. This is an almost tenfold increase on the amount spent in 2003–04. in the financial year of 2006–07, spending is expected to continue at similar levels.
	A proportion of this funding will continue to be specifically targeted on improving agricultural opportunities for Afghan farmers. This includes research to help identify, test and implement new crops and technologies. Innovative ways for farmers to make a living are also being pursued. Examples include apricot drying, honey bee keeping, and the introduction of fruit tree nurseries and greenhouses for vegetable production. DFID has also jointly funded, with United States Agency for International Development (USAID), a $25 million nationwide programme to increase access by over 500,000 farmers to seeds and fertiliser for alternative crops.
	At the same time as developing agricultural opportunities, and in the interests of sustainability, it is important to also develop non-farm alternative livelihoods. DFID will continue to support activities which identify sustainable economic alternatives and social incentives to enable farmers to stop growing poppy.

Departmental Assets

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will list the items valued at over £100 that have been reported as stolen from buildings occupied by his Department in the past 12 months.

Gareth Thomas: The items reported as stolen from DFID buildings over the last year, valued at over £100, are as follows.
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Compaq IPAC pocket PC 1 
			 Lamposts 4 
			 Bicycles 3 
			 Laptop computers 6

Departmental Expenditure

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what expenditure on (a) buildings and (b) insurance of buildings and staff was by (i) his Department and (ii) each (A) non-departmental public body, (B) executive agency and (C) other public body for which his Department is responsible in (1) Scotland, (2) Wales, (3) each English region and (4) Northern Ireland in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is for 2005–06 in each case.

Hilary Benn: In accordance with Government accounting policy, DFID does not normally insure its buildings or staff. The following figures are for expenditure on its headquarters buildings in UK only.
	
		
			 Financial year £ 
		
		
			 2002–03 8,748,344 
			 2003–04 8,720,705 
			 2004–05 9,668,959 
			 2005–06 (Forecast) 9,450,000 
		
	
	Information on overseas offices is not held centrally and cannot be obtained without incurring a disproportionate cost.
	DFID is not responsible for any other non-departmental public bodies (NDPB)s or agencies, but is responsible for CDC (formerly Commonwealth Development Corporation), a self-financing public corporation, based in London. The relevant figures for CDC are:
	
		
			   £ 
			  Buildings Insurance 
		
		
			 2003 613,700 759,600 
			 2004 963,600 648,700 
			 2005 (Forecast) 262,000 308,000 
			 2006 (Budget) 271,000 340,000

Gleneagles Commitments

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what mechanisms he has in place for his Department to follow up the donor commitments made by the G8 member countries at Gleneagles in 2005.

Hilary Benn: The Government are committed to ensuring that G8 pledges made at Gleneagles are implemented. DFID is involved in the implementation of specific initiatives: for example, the Infrastructure Consortium for Africa and the Investment Climate Facility. DFID is also working with others to ensure effective monitoring mechanisms to hold governments to account for delivery of their commitments and to assess results.
	At a national level, the "Gleneagles Implementation Plan" sets out the milestones the UK believes need to be achieved in 2006 to set us on the right track for delivery of the Gleneagles' commitments. This Plan has been placed in the Libraries of the House and will be updated monthly to show further progress. At the international level, the Africa Partnership Forum (APF) will monitor, review and report progress against the respective commitments by Africa and its development partners (not just the G8), on the basis of a Joint Action Plan now being developed. As one of the 2005 APF Co-Chairs, DFID, on behalf of the UK, has been closely involved in the development of this Plan and we remain fully committed to this process. We are also supporting the Archbishop of Capetown's proposal for an 'African Monitor', which will track the implementation of commitments, and their impact, through a network of civil society groups.

Identity Fraud

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what training the Department has provided for (a) front desk and (b) administrative staff in relation to identity fraud.

Gareth Thomas: Fraud awareness, including identity fraud is included in the induction training for all staff appointed by DFID.
	In relation to front desk staff, all visitors to the Department have to be identified and then accompanied by a member of staff throughout their visit.
	Guidelines are in place for administrative staff carrying out identity checks as part of the appointment and security clearance procedures for all new staff. These include sight of passports, birth certificates and other data that is checked as part of our security vetting process.

Priority Countries (Funding)

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding has been allocated to budget support for each of his Department's 20 priority countries; and how much of that funding has been allocated to (a) health and (b) education.

Hilary Benn: DFID does not have a classification list of priority countries as such but in our public service agreement we do have a number of key countries in Africa and Asia, 25 in total, in which we monitor progress towards the Millennium Development Goals. These countries have been chosen because they are DFID partner countries with high numbers of poor people and receive the largest proportions of total DFID spending in these continents.
	These countries are set out in the following table along with the amounts of poverty reduction budget support received over the past five years. The amount of budget support allocated to the specific sectors of health and education are detailed in the second table but the majority of this funding is provided as general budget support and not allocated to any specific sector.
	
		Poverty reduction budget support for DFID PSA countries £ million
		
			  2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 
		
		
			 Africa  
			 Congo (Dem Rep) 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Ethiopia 0 0 10 20 45 
			 Ghana 40 25 20 25 35 
			 Kenya 15 0 0 0 0 
			 Lesotho 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Malawi 30 12.5 0 10 15 
			 Mozambique 15.7 25.7 14.7 20.3 35.8 
			 Nigeria 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Rwanda 25.4 18 22 18.8 34.3 
			 Sierra Leone 19.5 10 10 10 12 
			 South Africa 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Sudan 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Tanzania 40 35 45 60 65 
			 Uganda 60 47 29.5 30 35 
			 Zambia 15 0 0 4 13 
			 Zimbabwe 0 0 0 0 0 
			   
			 Asia  
			 Afghanistan 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Bangladesh 0 0 6.6 0 29.8 
			 Cambodia 0 0 0 0 0 
			 China 0 0 0 0 0 
			 India 0 65 30 75 51.3 
			 Indonesia 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Nepal 0 0 0 0 2.1 
			 Pakistan 0 20 20 50 7.5 
			 Vietnam 0 0 0 10 20 
		
	
	
		Sector allocated expenditure on Health and Education through PRBS £ million
		
			  2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 
			  Health Education Health Education Health Education 
		
		
			 Mozambique 5.7 — 5.7 0 4.7 0 
			 Uganda 0 15 0 12 0 12 
			 Gambia 0 — 0 0 0 0 
			 India 0 — 0 0 0 0 
			 Nepal 0 — 0 0 0 0 
			 Pakistan 0 — 0 0 0 0 
		
	
	
		
			 £ million 
			  2003–04 2004–05 
			  Health Education Health Education 
		
		
			 Mozambique 5.3 0 5.3 0 
			 Uganda 0 0 0 0 
			 Gambia 0 4 0 4 
			 India 0 20 0 51.3 
			 Nepal 0 0 0 2.1 
			 Pakistan 15 0 7.5 0

Private Members' Bills

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will list private Members' Bills introduced (a) under Standing Order No. 14(6), (b) Standing Order No. 23 and (c) Standing Order No. 57 which were (i) supported and (ii) opposed by his Department in each session since 1997–98.

Hilary Benn: In July 2005, the hon. Member for Stone (Mr. Cash) introduced the International Development (Anti-corruption Audit) Bill under Standing Order 57. This was tabled for Second Reading on 14 October and again on 28 October but was not reached. In 2002–03 and 2003–04 no private Member's Bills were introduced which fell under the departmental responsibility of DFID. No information is held about private Member's Bills presented prior to this time.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the United Kingdom aid budget to sub-Saharan Africa excluding debt cancellation was for (a) the 2005 calendar year and (b) financial year 2004–05; and what the expected budget is for 2005–06.

Hilary Benn: In 2004–05 the UK's gross public expenditure on development in sub-Sarahan Africa amounted to £1.18 billion. This figure is reported in table 11 in our annual publication, Statistics in International Development (SID).
	Of this figure, £269.8 million represents debt relief to countries in sub-Sarahan Africa. This comprises of: £246.6 million for the Export Credit Guarantee Department (ECGD), £9 million for CDC (see SID Table 24), £1.7 million for DFID (see SID Table 12.1) and £12.5 million in payments to allow 100 per cent. cancellation of ECGD loans and reimbursements under the Hold in Trust policy (see SID Table 23).
	This means that in total, the UK channelled £911 million of bilateral assistance to sub-Sarahan Africa, if bilateral debt relief of all forms is excluded. Note that the UK also spent money in Africa via multilateral agencies, however this amount is not disaggregated to show how much went to Africa. The UK also made a payment to the heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC) trust fund amounting to £42.1 million in 2004–05 for the cancellation of multilateral debt.
	Aid can also be reported according to the international classification 'official development assistance' (ODA). This is undertaken on a calendar year basis. In 2004 (the latest year for which data are available), the UK ODA expenditure for sub-Sarahan Africa was £1.236 billion of which £387 million was debt relief. Excluding debt relief, the total ODA for sub-Sarahan Africa was £849 million.
	The target for the bilateral programme (excluding debt relief) for 2005–06 in sub-Sarahan Africa is £1 billion.

Water and Sanitation (Funding)

Dari Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to his answer of 14 November 2005, Official Report, column 871W, on water and sanitation (funding), what agreements were made by EU member states at the December European Council on allocations of aid.

Hilary Benn: The 15–16 December European Council endorsed the "European Consensus on Development" that was agreed by EU Development Ministers on 22 November at the General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC). In May 2005, member states made commitments that should see annual EU aid double to over €66 billion per year by 2010.
	The first part of the consensus sets out a common development vision to guide all EU member states development co-operation activities. Under the consensus, lease developed an low income countries will be given priority in terms of overall resource allocation. It states that resources will be allocated in an objective and transparent way, based on the needs and performance of the beneficiary countries, taking into account specific situations.
	Part 2 of the consensus sets out the revised EC Development Policy Statement to guide EC aid. It makes clear that the Community will apply all the principles in Part 1. It also provides more detail on needs criteria and performance criteria. The needs criteria include population, income per capita and the extent of poverty, income distribution and the level of social development. The performance criteria include political, economic and social progress, progress in good governance and the effective use of aid. The 22 November GAERC also asked the Commission and member states to publish aid projections by type and country over the next three years and possibly over a longer period.
	The European consensus states that investing in areas including health, water management and infrastructure are among the top priorities for combating poverty. Part 2 sets out the aims of the EC's 'integrated water resources management' policy framework which is designed to ensure a supply of sufficient, good quality drinking water, adequate sanitation and hygiene for all human beings.
	The December European Council also adopted the EU-Africa Strategy. The strategy re-emphasised the EU's commitment to facilitate access to water and sanitation in Africa.

Yemen

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment his officials have made of the poverty reduction strategy in Yemen.

Gareth Thomas: The Department for International Development is providing £3 million over three years in support of the Yemen poverty reduction strategy (PRS). This includes actively supporting development of the 3rd PRS (which is known as the Development Plan for Poverty Reduction-DPPR).
	DFID officials assess the content and implementation of the PRS/ DPPR at key stages; for example, when the Government releases a monitoring report, and in response to the needs assessment for the DDPR, which will be based on the Millennium Development Goals. Together with other donors, we will also assess the content of the DPPR when it is released and throughout its implementation. Concerns we have raised include the need to strengthen:
	links between the PRS/ DPPR and a comprehensive, transparent budget;
	strategies to address political and social exclusion, gender inequality, and severe poverty;
	attention to governance reforms and under-emphasised fields such as justice;
	evidence of impacts of the PRS in key sectors such as health and education; and
	indicators on which to gauge progress.
	In addition to our assessments of the PRS/ DPPR, DFID's support is particularly geared to enabling Yemenis themselves to assess and influence these strategies. Through Oxfam and other partners, we are supporting civil society groups to: shape the content of the plans; ensure that they are in the interests of the poor and promote gender equality; and monitor and hold the Government accountable for delivering on the commitments they contain.

Zimbabwe

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much money the British Government gave under their aid programme in Zimbabwe to (a) the Republic Police Grant, (b) the Zimbabwe Republic Police Organisation Development, (c) the UK/Zimbabwe Air Traffic Control Radar, (d) Land Rovers ATP and (e) LANPOL Police ATP in each year between 1997 and 2001.

Hilary Benn: The following table shows how much money the UK Government gave under their aid programme in Zimbabwe to the following programmes between 1997 and 2001.
	The Republic Police Grant and the Zimbabwe Republic Police Organisation Development programme are one and the same.
	
		Expenditure by UK financial year £000
		
			 Programme title 1996–07 1997–08 1998–09 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 
		
		
			 Zimbabwe Republic Police Organisation Development 8 90 741 741 96 — 
			 Air Traffic Control Radar Phase 2 Monitoring Consultancy—Civil Aviation Authority 83 115 88 39 19 — 
			 Aid-and-Trade Provision Supply of 300 Land Rovers 224 62 — — — — 
			 Land Rovers for Zimbabwe Republic Police Aid-and- Trade Provision Project — — 5,354 1,355 24 (8)-49 
		
	
	(8) Indicates that amount was returned to DFID.
	DFID suspended development assistance to Zimbabwe in 2002, in protest at continuing disregard for democratic principles and mismanagement of the economy by the Government of Zimbabwe. Since that time, DFID has only supported the international response to the humanitarian and HIV/AIDS crisis in Zimbabwe, through funding to United Nations agencies and non-governmental organisations.

Departmental Staff

Bob Spink: To ask the Leader of the House how many disciplinary actions against civil servants employed in his Office (a) were commenced and (b) resulted in a sanction being applied in each of the last five years.

Geoff Hoon: No disciplinary action has been taken against civil servants in the Office of the Leader of the House of Commons Office within the last five years.

Departmental Expenditure

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  how much was spent on external consultants and advisers by (a) her Department, (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii) Executive agency for which her Department is responsible and (c) each independent statutory body, organisation and body financially sponsored by her Department in each year since May 1997;
	(2)  if she will list the public relations companies that have had contracts with (a) her Department, (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii) Executive agency for which her Department is responsible and (c) independent statutory bodies, organisations and bodies financially sponsored by her Department and other such organisations since May 1997.

David Lammy: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has over 60 sponsored bodies/Executive agencies and the figures for them could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Expenditure

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what has been the annual expenditure on vehicles for (a) her Department and (b) each (i) non-departmental public body, (ii) Executive agency and (iii) other public body for which she is responsible in (A) Scotland, (B) Wales, (C) each of the English regions and (D) Northern Ireland in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is for 2005–06.

David Lammy: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) lease five cars from the Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA). Four for our Ministers and one for our permanent secretary.
	The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has over 60 sponsored bodies/Executive agencies and the figures for them could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	For details of expenditure on ministerial vehicles provided to the Department by the Government Car and Despatch Agency I refer the hon. Member to the letter of 20 December 2005 from the chief executive of the Government Car and Despatch Agency to the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker). Copies of this letter are available in the Library of the House.

Departmental Targets

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  whether (a) opera, (b) (i) classical, (ii) jazz, (iii) blues and (iv) choral music and (c) folk singing is recorded as participation in an arts activity for the purposes of her Department's Public Service Agreement performance target 3; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  whether attending a (a) book or poetry reading, (b) street performance, (c) musical, (d) film, (e) cultural festival and (f) carnival is recorded as an attendance for the purposes of her Department's Public Service Agreement performance target 3; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  whether attending a (a) world, (b) dance, (c) rock, (d) alternative, (e) blues, (f) electronica, (g) hip-hop, (h) rap, (i) rhythm and blues, (j) soul, (k) bangra, (l) jungle, (m) punk, (n) folk and (o) choral music event is recorded as an attendance for the purposes of her Department's Public Service Agreement performance target 3; and if she will make a statement;
	(4)  whether designing (a) clothes and (b) websites is recorded as participation in an arts activity for the purposes of her Department's Public Service Agreement performance target 3; and if she will make a statement;
	(5)  whether (a) directing, (b) stage designing and (c) costume designing for (i) plays, (ii) television programmes and (iii) films is recorded as participation in an arts activity for the purposes of her Department's Public Service Agreement performance target 3; and if she will make a statement.

David Lammy: The information requested can be found in the 2005–08 Public Service Agreements (PSA) Technical Note, which is on my Department's website at: http://www.culture.gov.uk/global/publications/archive_2005/psa_tech_note.htm
	This Technical Note sets out how the Department for Culture, Media and Sport will measure progress towards its PSA targets.

Licensing Act 2003

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the effects of the Licensing Act 2003 on levels of crime and disorder in (a) Gravesham and (b) England and Wales.

Richard Caborn: It is too early to draw any firm conclusions about the impact of the Licensing Act 2003 on the level of crime and disorder. However, there are anecdotal signs of some positive impact from the new flexibility in closing times to reduce flash points at 11 pm, and we have received no evidence that licensing law changes have had an adverse impact on accident and emergency facilities.
	The Government will continue to monitor the impact of the new legislation closely, including a programme of evaluation being conducted by the Home Office into the impact of the licensing reforms on crime and disorder.

Olympic Games

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what level of funding has been made available to support youth sport up to the 2012 London Olympics.

Richard Caborn: holding answer 20 January 2006
	In the five years leading up to 2008, DCMS, DfES and lottery investment in PE and school sport will total over £1.5 billion. This is being invested in schemes benefiting children and young people through PE, School Sport, Club Links and Coaching.
	In addition, Sport England is funding a number of programmes up to 2009 1 , which will help support and deliver youth sport.
	Examples of these programmes include £100 million Exchequer funding up to 2008 in England for the Community Club Development Programme, to assist National Governing Bodies in developing community sports clubs which increase participation and widen access to sport for groups including young people.
	A further example is the £17 million Exchequer funding allocated to the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme up to 2008 and the £2 million Lottery funding allocated to 2012 scholarships, to support our young medal hopefuls 2 .
	1 DCMS has a three year commitment until 2008 to provide Sport England and UK Sport with Exchequer funding. Lottery distribution shares within the Sport good cause are fixed until 2009 to allow Sport England and UK Sport to distribute Lottery funding. As such, details of funding commitments beyond 2009 are currently not available.
	2 From 1 April 2006, the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme and 2012 scholarships will be funded by UK Sport.

Poetry

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps the Arts Council is planning to take to promote poetry in the 2005 to 2008 period; what funding has been allocated for this purpose in the budget for that period; and if she will make a statement.

David Lammy: Poetry is promoted throughout the 2005 to 2008 period through the 24 Arts Council England (ACE) poetry Regularly Funded Organisations (RFOs). ACE is funding organisations and activity that encourage both writing and reading across all age groups and right across society.
	The following table shows the amount ACE has given to literature RFOs, and within this amount those which focus on poetry. Many literature organisations which may not be poetry specific, do also have a poetry remit.
	
		
			£ 
			  Funding 
			 Art form 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 
		
		
			 Literature 5,419,289 5,529,656 5,782,567 
			 Poetry 1,759,165 1,617,152 1,612,683

Business Review

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many companies will be required to produce the proposed enhanced Business Review; how many would have been required to produce an Operating and Financial Review; whether all companies operating in the United Kingdom will have to produce such business reviews; and what enhancements to the proposed Business Review will be made.

Alun Michael: Under provisions introduced into the Companies Act 1985 by the Companies Act 1985 (Operating and Financial Review and Directors' Report etc.) Regulations of March 2005, all GB quoted companies would have been required to produce an Operating and Financial Review. The associated Regulatory Impact Assessment put the number of quoted companies at 1,290.
	Only GB registered companies will be required to produce a Directors' Report including a Business Review, under section 234ZZB of the Companies Act 1985, for financial years beginning on or after 1 April 2005. The Regulatory Impact Assessment accompanying the regulations which introduced the requirement indicated that 37,290 GB companies will have to publish a Directors' Report including a Business Review. This does not include companies which meet the statutory definition of a small company which will not have to include a Business Review.
	As I indicated in my statement to the House before Christmas, the Government are currently inviting views on whether any particular requirements of the Business Review need to be further clarified; and on any other considerations which Ministers should take into account in deciding how to frame suitable amendments for the Company Law Reform Bill on these matters. The consultation closes on 15 February and therefore no decisions have been taken.

Cape Town Treaty

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans the UK Government have to ratify the Cape Town treaty.

Alun Michael: The UK played an active role in negotiations on the Cape Town Convention and Aircraft Protocol at the 2001 Diplomatic Conference and is committed to its ratification though there are no immediate plans to do so.
	It should be noted that the convention is one of a number of so-called "mixed competence" Treaties where conclusion at EU level has been blocked due to disagreement between the UK and Spain over Gibraltar. Spain does not formally recognise Gibraltar competent authorities, because it does not recognise Gibraltar's 1969 constitution. In April 2000, a set of "Postboxing Arrangements" was concluded, to facilitate communications between Gibraltar authorities and their counterparts elsewhere in the European Union by indirect contact through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London. These arrangements were circulated to all member states and the institutions of the EU on 19 April 2000. They laid down how "postboxing" would operate in relation both to EU instruments and to certain named international conventions. They would only apply to other treaties if both sides agreed. For its part, the UK has also made clear that it would need to obtain the consent of the Government of Gibraltar.

EU Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the impact of the delay in the implementation of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive on business.

Malcolm Wicks: The delay in the implementation of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive in the UK has been welcomed by business. It will give the Government time to ensure that the costs to business are minimised once the directive has been fully implemented.

EU Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many man-hours have been spent on each (a) review of and (b) consultation on implementation of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive; and how much each such (i) review and (ii) consultation has cost.

Malcolm Wicks: This question cannot be answered without incurring disproportionate cost to the Department.

Gas Prices

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the effect of UK gas prices on industry.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government take the recent increases in gas prices very seriously, and particularly their impact on the competitiveness of UK industry. We understand that this creates tough trading conditions, especially for energy intensive users, and we are aware of a few companies having reduced production in response to the very high prices since November. This will, of course, have a negative impact on UK industrial output, but in terms of overall GDP this will be relatively minor.
	I have visited a number of major industrial gas users and am continuing to meet with companies, business representatives and gas suppliers to discuss gas prices and security of supply. We are also undertaking some research into the capability of UK industry to reduce their gas demand.
	The impact on UK businesses of increases in gas prices will depend on a variety of factors, including how much gas a particular company uses, the degree of their exposure to spot and forward prices and the duration of high prices. It will also be affected by the energy prices paid by their competitors. A further sector-specific issue is whether they are in a competitive market where international trade sets the price or in a sector where prices are determined more locally and rising energy costs could be passed on.
	Provisional data for October 2005 shows that UK retail gas prices for small, medium and large industrial users were below the EU15 median. However, individual companies will have agreed commercially confidential contract terms and prices that might differ from these averages. I am also aware, from my industry visits and meetings, that, there is some evidence that gas prices in the UK for some of our very large industrial users are above those on the Continent, and I recognise the risk that this presents to UK competitiveness. Officials are working closely with Industry and Ofgem, with a view to help, wherever possible, to mitigate the situation and reduce these impacts.

Patents Act

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the operation of sections 1 to 4 of the Patents Act 2004.

Alan Johnson: Sections 1 to 4 of the Patents Act 2004 will bring UK patents legislation into line with the revised European Patent Convention ("EPC"). These provisions will be brought into force at the same time as the revised EPC itself takes effect. This is desirable in order to maintain consistency between the UK and European patents systems. It is uncertain exactly when this will be, because the revised EPC takes effect two years after the 15th state has ratified or acceded, or (if earlier) three months after the final state has ratified or acceded. At present I understand that 14 states have done so, and that includes the UK. The revised EPC, and the corresponding provisions in the 2004 Act, are therefore unlikely to take effect before mid-2008.

Pension Contributions

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the cost was of pension contributions incurred by (a) his Department and (b) each (i) non-departmental public body, (ii) executive agency and (iii) other public body for which he is responsible in (A) Scotland, (B) Wales, (C) each of the English regions and (D) Northern Ireland in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is for 2005–06.

Alan Johnson: The pension contributions recorded in the Department of Trade and Industry's Consolidated Resource Accounts (which include the executive agencies, The Insolvency Service, Employment Tribunals Service, National Weights And Measures Laboratory and the NDPB The Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service) are as follows:
	
		
			  £000 
		
		
			 2002–03 30,053 
			 2003–04 32,076 
			 2004–05 34,876 
		
	
	The pension costs of the non-consolidated bodies for which the Department is responsible are accounted for in each of the individual body's published accounts. To table each of these bodies to obtain this information would result in the incurring of disproportionate costs.
	For 2005–06, employers' contributions are payable to the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (PCSPS) at one of four rates in the ranges 16.2 per cent. to 24.6 per cent. of pensionable pay, based on salary bands. The Scheme Actuary reviews employer contributions every four years following a full scheme valuation; last carried out as at 31 March 2003. The contribution rates reflect the cost of benefits as they accrue (net of employee contributions), not the costs as they are actually incurred, and reflect past experience of the scheme.

Wind Farms

Geoffrey Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the cost to public funds of grants to companies for the construction of wind farms has been for each of the last five years, broken down by company.

Malcolm Wicks: The cost to public funds of grants to companies for the construction of offshore wind farms in the last five financial years is as follows:
	
		
			£ million 
			 Financial year Project Developer Cost 
		
		
			 2004–05 North Hoyle National Wind Power 7.5 
			 2004–05 Scroby Sands EON UK 7.5 
			 2005–06 Kentish Flats Kentish Flats Ltd. 8.7 
			 2005–06 Barrow Offshore Centrica and Dong A/S 6.5 
			 2005–06 North Hoyle National Wind Power 2.3 
			 2005–06 Scroby Sands EON UK 2.2 
			 Total   34.7 
		
	
	No capital grants have been paid to companies for the construction of onshore wind farms in the last five financial years.

Asylum/Immigration

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum applicants were returned to other EU countries under the terms of the Dublin Regulations in each month since June 2005.

Tony McNulty: The approximate number of asylum applicants returned to other EU countries under the terms of the Dublin Regulations in each month since June 2005 is as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 June 2005 130 
			 July 2005 140 
			 August 2005 150 
			 September 2005 140 
		
	
	These figures are based on internal management information and as such are not of sufficient quality to be published as National Statistics.

Correspondence

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter dated 28 November 2005 regarding police re-organisation from Mr. Terrence S. Hyde, a constituent of the hon. Member for Shrewsbury and Atcham.

Hazel Blears: A reply was sent to Mr. Terence Hyde, on 16 January 2006, and a copy has been sent to the hon. Member.

Crime Statistics

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many notifiable offences were committed in England in each year since 1976–77, broken down by (a) burglary, (b) car crime, (c) robbery, (d) violent crime and (e) other offences; what the percentage change was in each year; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: The available information is given in the following tables.
	
		Table 1: Offences recorded by the police in England Number and percentage
		
			  All burglary Vehicle crime Robbery 
			  Number Percentage change Number Percentage change Number Percentage change 
		
		
			 1976 486,771 n/a 480,394 n/a 11,267 n/a 
			 1977(10) 571,101 n/a 575,770 n/a 13,395 n/a 
			 1978 536,683 -6 581,395 1 12,867 -4 
			 1979 521,272 -3 559,669 -4 12,218 -5 
			 1980 590,153 13 590,343 5 14,699 20 
			 1981 686,899 16 680,227 15 19,920 36 
			 1982 771,713 12 763,850 12 22,497 13 
			 1983 772,981 0 715,113 -6 21,813 -3 
			 1984 854,736 11 762,280 7 24,610 13 
			 1985 828,808 -3 807,248 6 27,179 10 
			 1986 886,347 7 941,747 17 29,630 9 
			 1987 855,910 -3 997,343 6 32,262 9 
			 1988 776,413 -9 930,414 -7 31,055 -4 
			 1989 786,917 1 969,065 4 32,777 6 
			 1990 961,696 22 1,200,462 24 35,731 9 
			 1991 1,160,470 21 1,416,489 18 44,738 25 
			 1992 1,290,664 11 1,468,715 4 52,224 17 
			 1993 1,307,683 1 1,445,873 -2 57,098 9 
			 1994 1,203,637 -8 1,303,055 -10 59,377 4 
			 1995 1,183,159 -2 1,253,756 -4 67,284 13 
			 1996 1,112,752 -6 1,227,368 -2 73,172 9 
			 1997 968,630 -13 1,057,787 -14 62,261 -15 
		
	
	
		Number and percentage
		
			  Violent crime(9) All other offences Total 
			  Number Percentage change Number Percentage change Number Percentage change 
		
		
			 1976 105,583 n/a 954,119 n/a 2,026,867 n/a 
			 1977(10) 110,915 n/a 1,242,780 n/a 2,500,566 n/a 
			 1978 116,242 5 1,196,503 -4 2,430,823 -3 
			 1979 122,602 5 1,205,727 1 2,409,270 -1 
			 1980 126,956 4 1,248,511 4 2,555,963 6 
			 1981 133,415 5 1,320,928 6 2,821,469 10 
			 1982 143,830 8 1,425,591 8 3,104,984 10 
			 1983 146,677 2 1,451,377 2 3,086,148 -1 
			 1984 151,899 4 1,558,657 7 3,327,572 8 
			 1985 162,791 7 1,636,758 5 3,435,605 3 
			 1986 169,696 4 1,659,879 1 3,657,669 6 
			 1987 189,053 11 1,655,090 0 3,697,396 1 
			 1988 205,398 9 1,607,085 -3 3,519,310 -5 
			 1989 227,638 11 1,691,243 5 3,674,863 4 
			 1990 236,985 4 1,915,220 13 4,314,363 17 
			 1991 251,720 6 2,176,456 14 5,005,135 16 
			 1992 268,821 7 2,276,259 5 5,304,459 6 
			 1993 278,380 4 2,215,301 -3 5,247,237 -1 
			 1994 296,208 6 2,194,007 -1 4,996,907 -5 
			 1995 295,428 0 2,120,551 -3 4,852,894 -3 
			 1996 326,387 10 2,123,800 0 4,790,307 -1 
			 1997 326,993 0 2,007,981 -5 4,361,391 -9 
		
	
	n/a=not applicable.
	(9) Includes violence against the person, sexual offences and robbery.
	(10) In 1977, offences of criminal damage of value £20 and under were introduced into the series.
	
		Table 2: Offences recorded by the police in England(11) Number and percentage
		
			  All burglary Vehicle crime Robbery 
			  Number Percentage change Number Percentage change Number Percentage change 
		
		
			 1998–99 911,243 n/a 1,021,565 n/a 65,982 n/a 
			 1999–2000 869,704 -5 992,054 -3 83,368 26 
			 2000–01 803,144 -8 924,795 -7 94,264 13 
			 2001–02 846,301 n/a 1,025,945 n/a 120,329 n/a 
		
	
	
		Number and percentage
		
			  Violent crime(12) All other offences Total 
			  Number Percentage change Number Percentage change Number Percentage change 
		
		
			 1998–99 571,027 n/a 2,343,260 n/a 4,847,095 n/a 
			 1999–2000 662,525 16 2,521,415 8 5,045,698 4 
			 2000–01 692,552 5 2,511,903 0 4,932,394 -2 
			 2001–02 773,897 n/a 2,637,449 n/a 5,283,592 n/a 
		
	
	n/a=not applicable.
	(11) Using the expanded coverage and revised counting rules which came into effect on 1 April 1988. Figures in this table are not directly comparable with those for earlier years.
	(12) Includes violence against the person, sexual offences and robbery.
	
		Table 3: Offences recorded by the police in England(13) Number and percentage
		
			  All burglary Vehicle crime Robbery 
			  Number Percentage change Number Percentage change Number Percentage change 
		
		
			 2002–03 851,988 1 926,971 -10 106,652 -11 
			 2003–04 783,970 -8 843,228 -9 99,914 -6 
			 2004–05 650,682 -17 699,474 -17 87,625 -12 
		
	
	
		Number and percentage
		
			  Violent crime(14) All other offences Total 
			  Number Percentage change Number Percentage change Number Percentage change 
		
		
			 2002–03 935,019 21 2,888,938 10 5,602,916 6 
			 2003–04 1,052,601 13 2,965,518 3 5,645,317 1 
			 2004–05 1,127,681 7 2,817,212 -5 5,295,049 -6 
		
	
	(13) The National Crime Recording Standard was introduced nationally in April 2002. Because of this, figures in this table are not directly comparable with those for earlier years.
	(14) Includes violence against the person, sexual offences and robbery.

Crime Statistics

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many recorded offences of (a) burglary, (b) thefts and (c) thefts from cars there have been in each division of the Staffordshire police force in each year since 1997.

Hazel Blears: The available information relates to offences recorded in basic command units (BCUs) in the Staffordshire police force area and is given in the tables. Data at BCD level has only been collected since 1999.
	
		Table 1: Recorded offences in Staffordshire 1999–2000 to 2001–02 Number of offences
		
			 Basic Command Unit Offence 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 
		
		
			 Chase Domestic burglary 1,624 1,615 1,912 
			  Thefts (15)— 10,094 9,750 
			  of which:
			  Thefts from cars 2,536 3,134 2,968 
			  
			 North Staffordshire Domestic burglary 1,600 1,235 1,417 
			  Thefts (15)— 6,347 7,791 
			  of which:
			  Thefts from cars 2,625 2,086 2,861 
			  
			 Stoke on Trent Domestic burglary 4,336 3,176 3,093 
			  Thefts (15)— 12,435 14,095 
			  of which:
			  Thefts from cars 4,275 3,367 3,857 
			  
			 Trent Valley Domestic burglary 1,513 1,523 1,661 
			  Thefts (15)— 9,085 10,132 
			  of which:
			  Thefts from cars 2,162 2,000 2,632 
		
	
	(15) Not available
	Note:
	The data in this table is prior to the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard. The data is therefore not directly comparable with that for subsequent years.
	
		Table 2: Recorded offences in Staffordshire 2002–03 to 2004–05 Number of offences
		
			 Basic Command Unit Offence 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 
		
		
			 Chase Domestic burglary 1,446 1,342 1,003 
			  Thefts 9,098 8,955 8,001 
			  of which:
			  Thefts from cars 2,302 2,505 2,030 
			  
			 North Staffordshire Domestic burglary 1,178 922 753 
			  Thefts 6,989 6212 5,329 
			  of which:
			  Thefts from cars 2,198 1,832 1,489 
			  
			 Stoke on Trent Domestic burglary 2,438 2,491 1,732 
			  Thefts 12,711 12,100 10,448 
			  of which:
			  Thefts from cars 3,237 3,106 2,501 
			  
			 Trent Valley Domestic burglary 1,396 1,410 1,225 
			  Thefts 9,606 9,226 8,439 
			  of which:
			  Thefts from cars 2,357 2,133 1,780 
		
	
	Note:
	The data in this table takes account of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. The data is therefore not directly comparable with that for earlier years.

Criminal Records Bureau

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what details of an offence are recorded in information included in disclosures by the Criminal Records Bureau.

Andy Burnham: All Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) disclosures provide employers with information concerning individuals' offences as recorded on the police national computer (PNC), including convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings. This would include the date of the conviction, the description of the offence, the disposal and the court or police force concerned. In the case of cautions, the date of the caution and the place it was issued are also included.
	Where an application indicates that the position involves working with children and/or vulnerable adults, the disclosure, whether it is at the standard or enhanced level, will detail the nature of an individual's inclusion on the Protection of Children Act list or list 99, where the position involves working with children, or details of inclusion on the protection of vulnerable adults list where the position involves working with vulnerable adults. Where the individual is not included on either or all of those lists, the disclosure will record that fact.
	An enhanced CRB check involves a further level of checking against non-conviction information which may be held locally by individual police forces. Additionally, any relevant adult or child protection list should be checked where relevant to the position applied for and if a match is found that fact is included on the disclosure.

Criminal Records Bureau

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make changes to the Criminal Records Bureau's portability scheme with a view to reducing the financial burden placed on voluntary bodies.

Andy Burnham: The Criminal Records Bureau's Portability Service operates at no cost to the registered body network, which includes organisations belonging to the voluntary sector. Changes to the Portability Service are under consideration but not with the specific aim to reduce the financial burden on voluntary bodies. The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) remains committed to its stated support of voluntary bodies by processing free of charge disclosure checks for those who fall within the definition of a volunteer.
	The primary aim of the changes is to minimise the inherent risks involved in reusing disclosures. The decision to accept 'ported' disclosures lies entirely with the employer or regulating body concerned, as does the accompanying risk of making use of potentially out of date information when assessing suitability.

Departmental Objectives

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on progress towards his Department's strategic objective IV.

Tony McNulty: The Government's strategy for a comprehensive reform of the asylum and immigration process "Controlling our Borders: Making Migration Work for Britain" was published in February 2004. The subsequent consultation period on the new points-based system for managed migration described in "Selective Admission: Making migration work for Britain" ended on 7 November 2005.
	We anticipate publishing our response in the spring with a timetable for next steps. The e-borders programme will deliver a fully integrated border control system and is planned to roll out in three stages from 2004 to 2014. We have introduced a range of legislative and operational measures which have successfully reduced the number of unfounded asylum applications and processing times.
	The Department remains committed to achieving its aim of tipping the balance and the number of failed asylum seekers being removed from the UK has risen significantly. We removed three, 935 asylum seekers in Q3 2005, 10 per cent. more than in Q3 2004. The 'New Asylum Model' will introduce faster, tightly-managed processes for all new asylum claimants.
	We have negotiated returns arrangements to assist in returning immigration offenders and are putting immigration at the centre of our relationship with all major countries from which illegal migrants and failed asylum seekers come. We continue to engage closely with other EU member states on returns and have taken part in a number of successful joint operations in this area. The Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Bill which is currently before Parliament will provide the necessary legislative basis for those parts of the strategy which require primary legislation.

DNA Profiles

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 20 December 2005, Official Report, column 2890W, on DNA profiles, how many (a) murderers and (b) rapists who had been arrested but had not initially been charged or cautioned for an offence have been caught as a consequence of having their profiles stored on the national DNA database; and if he will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: Research carried out in January 2006 indicates that: 37 murders/manslaughters, 16 attempted murders and 90 rapes have so far been linked to people who had DNA samples taken on arrest but who were not subsequently proceeded against for the arresting offence. It is not possible at the current time to determine the outcome of the police investigation of these crimes.

Highly Skilled Migrant Programme

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been accepted under the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme in each year since its introduction; and, how many of those were unemployed on the latest date for which figures are available.

Tony McNulty: The following table provides detail of the numbers of approvals issued under the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP) for each calendar year since the programme was launched. These approvals allow individuals to apply either for leave to enter or leave to remain in the United Kingdom as Highly Skilled Migrants. (These data have not provided under National Statistics protocols. They have been derived from local management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change.)
	The increase in the number of applications approved followed a review of the programme in October 2003. This review resulted in the introduction of a number of changes to the HSMP criteria to ensure that the programme attracted a greater share of highly skilled individuals to the United Kingdom. Information is not collected to determine if a Highly Skilled Migrant is unemployed. Successful applicants have to demonstrate though that they are able to maintain themselves and any dependants without recourse to public funds.
	Initial grants of leave issued to Highly Skilled Migrants are limited to a period of 12 months. Only where a Highly Skilled Migrant has been able to establish that they have taken all reasonable steps to become lawfully economically active in the UK during this initial period, will an extension to their stay, for a further period of 36 months, be granted.
	
		
			 2002 2003 2004 2005 Total 
		
		
			 1,180 3,695 7,515 17,642 30,032

Illegal Broadcasting

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convictions there were in each of the last five years in relation to (a) pirate radio stations and (b) illegal broadcasts.

Alun Michael: holding answer 15 December 2005
	I have been asked to reply.
	I am informed by Ofcom that convictions concerning pirate radio stations and illegal broadcasts in the last five years were as follows.
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 2000 41 
			 2001 20 
			 2002 (16)49 
			 2003 (17)103 
			 2004 (18)60 
			 2005 16 
		
	
	(16) Also two formal cautions April to December 2002.
	(17) Also five formal cautions.
	(18) Also six formal cautions.
	(19) Also eight formal cautions and 34 outstanding prosecutions.
	Note:
	The figures for formal cautions are drawn from an information system which came into service on 1 April 2002.
	There is no legal distinction between illegal broadcasters (pirate radio stations) and illegal broadcasts. The figures given therefore cover the two categories.

IRIS Project

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 30 November 2005, Official Report, column 597W, on the IRIS project, when he expects to publish the key findings of the project IRIS operational pilot.

Tony McNulty: The evaluation of the Project IRIS operational pilot will be commercially sensitive but I will report the key findings to the House.

Knives

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been (a) fined and (b) imprisoned for (i) illegally selling knives to under 16-year-olds and (ii) marketing a bladed product in a manner which (A) indicates that it is suitable for combat and (B) is likely to promote simulations of violent behaviour since the Knives Act 1997 in (1) Greater London and (2) each London borough.

Hazel Blears: The information for London is shown in the table. Statistics are not available for each London borough.
	
		Offenders sentenced to fines and imprisonment for offences under the Knives Act 1997, London
		
			  1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 
		
		
			 Unlawful marketing of knives (selling or hiring)(20) 
			 Sentenced 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Fine 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Immediate custody 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  
			 Unlawful marketing of knives (offering or exposing to sell or hire)(20) 
			 Sentenced 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Fine 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Immediate custody 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  
			 Unlawful marketing of knives—having in possession for the purpose of sale or hire(20) 
			 Sentenced 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Fine 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Immediate custody 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  
			 Publication of any written pictorial or other material in connection with the marketing of any knife—the material suggesting/indicating knife suitable for combat September 1997(20) 
			 Sentenced 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Fine 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Immediate custody 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Publication of any written pictorial or other material in connection with the marketing of any knife—the material is otherwise likely to simulate or encourage violet behaviour involving use of the knife as a weapon(20) 
			 Sentenced 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Fine 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Immediate custody 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  
			 Selling a knife etc. to a person under 16 years(21) 
			 Sentenced 0 2 1 0 1 3 3 1 
			 Fine 0 2 1 0 1 3 3 1 
			 Immediate custody 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
		
	
	(20) These sections of the Act came into force in September 1997.
	(21) This offence is not included in the Knives Act 1997. It is covered by the Offensive Weapons Act 1996 S.6(1).
	Source:
	RDS-NOMS 18 January 2006.

London Bombings

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what use the police made of public mobile communications networks during the response operation to the incidents on the London Underground and bus network on 7 July 2005.

Hazel Blears: I refer the hon. member to the answer I gave on 17 January 2006, Official Report, column 1273W .

Miniature Motorbikes

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from the police about the illegal use of miniature motorbikes and quad bikes; what plans his Department has to tackle this misuse; if he will establish a compulsory registration scheme for such bikes; and if he will take steps to prohibit ownership for a set period of time by individuals who have been caught using them illegally.

Hazel Blears: We are aware of public concern about the misuse of these vehicles and the issue has been raised with us by the police and by other antisocial behaviour practitioners.
	The police already have a power under the Police Reform Act to seize any mechanically propelled vehicle which is being driven either in a careless and inconsiderate manner on-road or off-road without lawful authority contrary to s3 or s34 of the Road Traffic Act 1988,, and is causing or likely to cause alarm, distress or annoyance to members of the public. The driver can also be prosecuted for the Road Traffic Act offence and penalised accordingly.
	The Home Office issued on 1 November additional guidance to the police on this legislation, explaining the rationale behind its various aspects, clarifying its terms and the circumstances in which it might be used and offering examples of effective operations. At the same time Regulations governing use of the power were simplified. The Government are now considering what more can be done to curb the problem; including whether there is a need for further legislation, and mandatory registration. We have no current plans to prohibit ownership.

National Criminal Intelligence Service

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will require the National Criminal Intelligence Service to allow inward communication from the public via e-mail and the internet; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: The National Criminal Intelligence Service was not set up to receive reports direct from members of the public, but provides links which the public can use to make contact electronically with the appropriate authority.

NSPCC

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 29 November 2005, Official Report, column 452W, on the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, what the basis is for his confidence in social workers' awareness of the risks of prejudicing future police investigations; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: It is the responsibility of the Senior Investigating Officer to set the parameters of the police investigation and to ensure that third parties involved in the case are aware of the risks of prejudicing the investigation.
	'Working together to safeguard children: a guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children' was jointly published by the Home Office, Department for Health and Department for Skills and Education in 1999. Chapter five includes guidance on investigative interviews with children where social workers have a role and states at paragraph 5.36 that "leading or suggestive communications should always be avoided". In addition, paragraphs 6.24 to 6.26 sets out guidance in relation to investigating organised and multiple abuse and states the need for the police and other agencies involved to agree clear written protocols in relation to all key operational and policy matters.

Police

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what level of fitness is required for police officers;
	(2)  if he will instigate an assessment of (a) the fitness of police officers and (b) possible measures to improve fitness.

Hazel Blears: All applicants recruited to the post of constable must be in good health and able both physically and mentally to perform the duties of a police officer.
	As part of the standard recruitment process, applicants are required to pass a national job related physical fitness test to ensure that they are capable of meeting the physical demands of police work and to ensure that they are not put at risk from undertaking police tasks. The test must be passed prior to entry and again during the probationary period.
	We are also considering the introduction of regular testing of all officers in-service to ensure maintenance of the minimum fitness standard.
	Details of the recruit fitness test are contained on the Police Could You website at www.policecouldyou.co.uk and are set out for forces in Home Office Circular 43/2004. We are placing a copy of the Circular in the Library of the House.
	Officers in certain specialist roles are also required to demonstrate a higher level of fitness on a regular basis. Work is being undertaken to ensure consistency in standards across the Service.
	Officers are encouraged to develop and maintain health and fitness as part of the Home Office's strategy for a healthy police service and individual force occupational force strategies.

Police

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 20 June 2005, Official Report, column 771W, on police, how many fatal accidents involving police service vehicles there were in 2004–05; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: Figures are provided in the table. Data collected on behalf of HM Inspectorate of Constabulary appears in column A and provides the number of fatalities resulting from road traffic collisions on public roads involving police vehicles and those resulting from immediate/emergency response and police pursuits.
	The figures in this column are comparable with the figures provided in the previous PQ answer. The Independent Police Complaints Commission published the bulletin on "Deaths during or following police contact: Statistics for England and Wales 2004–05" on 19 November 2005. This includes a wider definition of road traffic fatalities which, for the purpose of the reporting, are defined as deaths of motorists, cyclists or pedestrians resulting from police pursuits, police vehicles responding to emergency calls and other police traffic-related activity. This data is provided in column B.
	
		Fatal accidents involving police service vehicles—2004–05
		
			  Column A Column B 
			   Fatalities resulting from road traffic collisions on public roads involving police vehicles and those resulting from immediate/emergency response and police pursuits as at 31 March 2005 Road traffic fatalities including the deaths of motorists, cyclists or pedestrians resulting from police pursuits, police vehicles responding to emergency calls and other police traffic related activity (2004–05)(22) 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset 0 0 
			 Bedfordshire 1 2 
			 Cambridgeshire 0 1 
			 Cheshire 0 0 
			 Cleveland 0 2 
			 Cumbria 0 0 
			 Derbyshire 1 1 
			 Devon and Cornwall 0 0 
			 Dorset (23)— 0 
			 Durham 0 0 
			 Dyfed-Powys 0 0 
			 Essex 1 2 
			 Gloucestershire 0 0 
			 Greater Manchester 4 4 
			 Gwent 0 1 
			 Hampshire 0 1 
			 Hertfordshire 0 0 
			 Humberside 0 1 
			 Kent 0 0 
			 Lancashire 1 3 
			 Leicestershire 0 1 
			 Lincolnshire 2 2 
			 London, City of 0 0 
			 Merseyside 0 1 
			 Metropolitan police 4 5 
			 Norfolk 0 0 
			 Northamptonshire 0 1 
			 Northumbria 2 2 
			 North Wales 0 1 
			 North Yorkshire 0 0 
			 Nottinghamshire 1 2 
			 South Wales 0 0 
			 South Yorkshire 2 2 
			 Staffordshire 0 0 
			 Suffolk 0 0 
			 Surrey 0 0 
			 Sussex 2 2 
			 Thames Valley 0 1 
			 Warwickshire 2 2 
			 West Mercia 0 1 
			 West Midlands 0 1 
			 West Yorkshire 0 2 
			 Wiltshire 0 0 
			 Total 23 44 
		
	
	(22) Taken from the "Deaths during or following police contact: Statistics for England and Wales 2004–05" publication published on 19 November 2005.
	(23) Force is unable to provide figures in 2004–05.

Police

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the roll-out of the Safer Neighbourhood policing teams is planned in each ward of the London borough of Haringey; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: There are currently 285 Safer Neighbourhoods teams in London; a minimum of eight per borough.
	On 10 January the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service Sir Ian Blair and Mayor of London Ken Livingstone announced that the roll out of Safer Neighbourhoods is being accelerated to ensure that every neighbourhood in London will have a full team in place during the next financial year (2006–07).
	This will mean that the remaining 340 wards will initially have teams of four staff in place by April 2006, rising to six staff by April 2007. This will increase the number of teams from the current 285 to a total of 625 a year ahead of schedule.

Recorded Offences (Humberside)

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been found to be carrying knives in public without good reason or lawful authority in each division of Humberside police in each year since the introduction of the Knives Act 1997.

Hazel Blears: Data from the court proceedings database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform shows that the number of people proceeded against at the magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for carrying knives in public without good reason or lawful authority for Humberside police force area, 2002–04 is contained in the table.
	It is not possible to identify those convictions by each division of Humberside police as the data is not collected at this level of detail.
	
		Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts under Criminal Justice Act 1988, Sec 139(1), Humberside police force area, 1997 to 2004
		
			  Offence description  Statute  Year Proceeded against  Found guilty 
		
		
			 Having an article with blade or point in public place Criminal Justice Act 1988, Sec 139 as amended by Offensive Weapons Act 1996, Sec 3 1997 60 43 
			   1998 63 45 
			   1999 80 65 
			   2000 63 53 
			   2001 61 46 
			   2002 81 69 
			   2003 77 63 
			   2004 120 105 
			 Having an article with blade or point on school premises (25) Criminal Justice Act 1988, Sec 139A(1)(5)(a) added by Offensive Weapons Act 1996, Sec 4(1) 1997 — — 
			   1998 1 — 
			   1999 — — 
			   2000 2 2 
			   2001 — — 
			   2002 — — 
			   2003 2 2 
			   2004 1 1 
		
	
	(24) These data are on the principal offence basis.

Stateless People

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many stateless people were known to be resident in the United Kingdom in each of the last five years; and what his policy is on considering applications for leave to remain.

Tony McNulty: No distinction is made between applications for leave to remain from stateless people and from people who have a nationality. Stateless people whose applications are successful are granted leave to enter or remain in the usual way. Those whose applications fail are expected to leave the United Kingdom, usually to return to their countries of habitual residence. Statistics on grants of settlement—that is, grants of permanent residence—to stateless persons, 2000 to 2004, are given in the following table. However, they are not cumulative and they do not take account of persons who subsequently embark or acquire British Citizenship.
	Further immigration statistics can be found in the Command Papers "Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom" available from the Library and from the Home Office websitehttp://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html
	
		Grants of settlement, stateless persons (25)(26), 2000–04
		
			 United Kingdom Number of persons 
			 Nationality Stateless 
		
		
			 2000 930 
			 2001 390 
			 2002 215 
			 2003 330 
			 2004(27) 205 
		
	
	(25) Includes persons whose nationality is recorded as unknown.
	(26) Data from 2003 also exclude dependants of EEA and Swiss nationals in confirmed relationships
	(27) Provisional
	Data rounded to the nearest 5.

Violent Crime

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the reasons for changes in the number of recorded violent crime in each of the last four quarters.

Hazel Blears: There are three main reasons for the increases in recorded crime in each of the last four quarters for which figures are available (i.e. ending April to June 2005).
	There is still some residual effect from the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in 2002. Analysis shows that there is some increase in recording as police forces improve compliance with the standard.
	Many of the Government's programmes for tackling domestic violence and sexual crime are encouraging the reporting and therefore recording of offences which had hitherto been grossly under-reported. The reclassification of some offences (such as indecent exposure) as violent has also led to increases.
	More pro-active policing and increased police effectiveness may cause an increase in recorded crime. Use of CCTV, for example, may lead to recording and detection of assaults which would otherwise have gone unreported and unrecorded.
	The British Crime Survey, which is widely-regarded as providing a more reliable trend measure because it is resistant to changes in reporting, police recording and local policing activity, showed a fall of 7 per cent. in violent crime during this period (though this was not statistically significant).

Democratic Republic of Congo

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date Henri Nswana was accredited to the UK from the Democratic Republic of Congo (a) as chargé d'affaires and (b) as ambassador; and when his accreditation ended.

Ian Pearson: Mr Henri Nswana began his posting as Minister Counsellor at the Democratic Republic of the Congo embassy in the UK in 1998. He was accredited as chargé d'affaires in early 2000, and became ambassador for the Democratic Republic of Congo on 6 July 2003. His accreditation ended on 20 October 2005.

Departmental Equipment

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) personal computers, (b) laptops, (c) servers, (d) printers, (e) scanners, (f) photocopiers and (g) fax machines (i) his Department and (ii) each (A) non-departmental public body, (B) executive agency and (C) other public body for which his Department is responsible in each English region owned in (1) 2003–04 and (2) 2004–05.

Jack Straw: While core IT equipment is centrally provided, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) also operates a devolved system of budgeting under which directorates have freedom to buy a range of IT and other equipment to support their work. Fax machines, in particular, are paid for from such devolved budgets and no central figures exist for the numbers used within the FCO. Some other equipment is refreshed regularly under existing contracts. The following figures are available, but not necessarily complete, for IT equipment in use in the English regions, at sites in London and in the south east, particularly Hanslope Park, near Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire:
	
		
			  Current Acquired 2003–04 Acquired 2004–05 
		
		
			 (a) Personal computers 4,857 359 580 
			 (b) Laptops 290 53 134 
			 (c) Servers 343 28 88 
			 (d) Printers 491 125 130 
			 (e) Scanners 80 14 20 
		
	
	
		
			  2003–04 2004–05 
		
		
			 (f) Photocopiers (NB photocopiers used by the FCO in the UK are leased and not actually owned by the Department) 335 355 
		
	
	Non-departmental public bodies (NDPB):
	British Council
	The British Council, which has offices throughout the country, has no central data on photocopiers or fax machines. For the other equipment in question it has outsourced its infrastructure support to Logica CMG which owns all the relevant assets.
	Details of equipment held for other NDPBs for which the FCO is responsible, all of which are based in London, are as follows:
	
		The Great Britain-China Centre
		
			  2003–04 2004–05 
		
		
			 (a) personal computers 6 6 
			 (b) laptops 2 2 
			 (c) servers 1 1 
			 (d) printers 2 2 
			 (e) scanners 1 1 
			 (f) photocopiers 1 1 
			 (g) fax machines 1 1 
		
	
	
		The British Association for Central and Eastern Europe
		
			  2003–04 2004–05 
		
		
			 (a) personal computers 3 3 
			 (b) laptops 2 2 
			 (c) servers 1 1 
			 (d) printers 5 5 
			 (e) scanners 1 1 
			 (f) photocopiers 1 1 
			 (g) fax machines 1 1 
		
	
	
		The Westminster Foundation for Democracy
		
			  2003–04 2004–05 
		
		
			 (a) personal computers 14 17 
			 (b) laptops 4 4 
			 (c) servers 2 2 
			 (d) printers 9 9 
			 (e) scanners 1 1 
			 (f) photocopiers 2 2 
			 (g) fax machines 1 1 
		
	
	The Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission (MACC)
	The Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission owns no IT equipment, and did not do so during 2003–05. The Association of Commonwealth Universities, which provides the secretariat to the MACC, does have some of the IT listed, but buys and maintains this from its own budget.
	Equipment used for FCO's advisory NDPB's is included within the totals given elsewhere in this answer.
	Executive Agencies
	
		Wilton Park (Near Steyning, West Sussex)
		
			  2003–04 2004–05 
		
		
			 (a) Personal computers 52 57 
			 (b) Laptops 12 13 
			 (c) Servers 5 6 
			 (d) Printers 28 29 
			 (e) Scanners 4 4 
			 (f) Photocopiers 8 8 
			 (g) Fax machines 5 5 
		
	
	Some of the categories include multi-function machines. Three photocopiers also act as combined scanners. The other photocopiers also act as fax machines.

Departmental Estate (Castle Point)

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what (a) land and (b) property is owned by his Department in Castle Point.

Jack Straw: None.

Ethiopia

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to ensure that the Ethiopian President adheres to the final and binding boundary commission border demarcation.

Ian Pearson: We supported UN Security Council resolution 1640, which demanded that Ethiopia accept fully and without further delay the final and binding decision of the Eritrea-Ethiopia boundary commission and take immediately concrete steps to enable, without preconditions, the commission to demarcate the border completely and promptly. On 17 December 2005, my noble Friend, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister for Africa, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, met Prime Minister Meles in Addis Ababa and had constructive discussions on the border. As a consequence we are consulting widely with international partners to further the process.

Gibraltar

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when a new Governor of Gibraltar will be appointed; and who will be consulted on the appointment.

Douglas Alexander: holding answer 20 January 2006
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, in consultation with the Ministry of Defence will consider candidates to succeed Sir Francis Richards as Governor of Gibraltar.
	In keeping with the commitment made by my noble Friend, the then Foreign and Commonwealth Office Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Baroness Amos, at the Overseas Territories Consultative Council in September 2002, the Chief Minister of Gibraltar will be involved in the consultation process.
	This recruitment process is already under way, and we hope to make an announcement in the spring.

Indonesia

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will assess the position of the Christian community in Indonesia, with particular reference to those facing (a) prosecution and (b) the death penalty.

Ian Pearson: Christians in Indonesia enjoy a high degree of religious freedom. Their right to worship is protected under the Indonesian constitution. There are sporadic incidents of inter-religious violence in certain religiously mixed areas which have adversely affected both the Christian and Muslim populations. However, these have decreased in recent years and the Government of Indonesia is keen to ensure good inter- communal relations, including by working with Muslim and Christian community leaders to reduce tensions.
	There are a small number of court cases involving Christians. Where the death penalty has been imposed, as in any other court case, we urge the Indonesian Government to refrain from carrying out executions, and to consider the abolition of the death penalty.

Somalia

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what British participation there has been in the peace process in Somalia; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: We have been closely engaged in the Somali National Reconciliation Conference and the subsequent political process and continue to work closely with the UN and other members of the international community to achieve a comprehensive and lasting settlement and a return to good governance in Somalia. My noble Friend, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister for Africa, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, and my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for International Development, Hilary Benn, and their officials have met the Transitional Federal President, Speaker and Prime Minister of Somalia on many occasions and have urged them to resolve their differences through dialogue.
	They have also met with and fully support the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in encouraging Somali-owned reconciliation initiatives. We are working with other members of the international community to help convene an early meeting of the Transitional Federal Parliament inside Somalia and remain prepared to offer further assistance to reconciliation and rebuilding the Somali state.

Somaliland

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent communications he has had with the Government of Somaliland; and if he will make a statement on future relations.

Ian Pearson: My noble Friend, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister for Africa, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, met the Somaliland authorities' Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Edna Adan, on 20 May 2005. During the year he exchanged letters with the Head of the Somaliland authorities, His Excellency Dahir Rayale Kahin, on the London bombings and the Somaliland elections. We acknowledge the progress achieved by Somaliland and hope to help the authorities there to further their democratic and developmental agenda through bilateral and multilateral contributions to aid programmes.

Sudan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's most recent assessment is of criminal violence in Sudan; and what recent reports it has received from the United Nations Mission in Sudan on this issue.

Ian Pearson: The United Nations Mission in Sudan provides regular reports on the security situation in Sudan. The security situation has improved in the south since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. However, criminal violence and banditry are widespread in Darfur. When my noble Friend the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister for Africa, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, visited Sudan from 5–8 October he made clear to the Government of Sudan that more must be done to improve security in Darfur. The Government are providing almost £32 million to support the African Union Mission in Darfur, which includes a sizeable civilian policing element.

UN Human Rights Convention

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the members of the UK delegation to the 2006 United Nations Human Rights Convention in Geneva; and what issues the delegation proposes to bring before it.

Ian Pearson: The UN World Summit on 14–16 September 2005 agreed to create a new UN Human Rights Council to replace the Commission on Human Rights. Negotiations on the mandate, functions and other elements of the Council are ongoing in New York. Their conclusion and its timing will influence the format of this year's Commission on Human Rights, and the work that it will undertake. For this reason it is not yet possible to list the UK's delegation, although we can confirm that it will be headed by the UK Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, ambassador Nick Thorne. For the same reasons, no decisions have been taken on what issues we might bring before the Commission. We expect to work closely with EU and other partners in ensuring a smooth transition from the Commission to the Human Rights Council.

Brighton and Hove Albion

Norman Baker: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he (a) informed and (b) sought advice from (i) his Permanent Secretary and (ii) other officials before deciding (A) to meet the Chairman of Brighton and Hove Albion and (B) to accept hospitality from the club on 16 December.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Information relating to internal meetings, discussion and advice is not disclosed as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.
	The hospitality provided to my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister by Brighton and Hove Albion on 16 December consisted of a steak and kidney pie and a glass of water in the crèche temporarily being used as the directors' box. This event was also attended by the directors of both clubs.

Departmental Expenditure

Pete Wishart: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the cost was of pension contributions incurred by (a) his Department, (b) each (i) non-departmental public body, (ii) Executive agency and (iii) other public body for which he is responsible in (A) Scotland, (B) Wales, (C) each of the English regions and (D) Northern Ireland in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is for 2005–06.

Phil Woolas: Set out as follows are the contributions incurred by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies (NDPB) for financial years 2002–03 to 2004–05. The planned expenditure for bodies other than ODPM are not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. In addition, the geographical split across the regions can be obtained only at disproportionate cost:
	
		
			 £000 
			  2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 (planned) 
		
		
			 (a) ODPM 17,025 20,414 22,103 29,855 
			 (b) (ii) Planning Inspectorate 3,080 3,240 3,292 — 
			 (b) (ii) The Rent Service 1,982 2,146 n/a n/a 
			 ODPM Consolidated 22,087 25,800 25,395 — 
			  
			 (b) (i) NDPBs 
			 English Partnerships 1,479 1,551 1,997 — 
			 Castle Vale Housing Action Trust 238 242 2,621 n/a 
			 Liverpool Housing Action Trust 482 430 3,581 — 
			 Stonebridge Housing Action Trust 153 164 311 — 
			 Tower Hamlets Housing Action Trust 29 1,064 n/a n/a 
			 Housing Corporation 2,340 2,960 3,200 — 
			 London Thames Gateway Development Corporation n/a n/a 6 — 
			 The Standards Board for England 143 225 327 — 
			 Thurrock Development Corporation n/a 3 7 — 
			 Valuation Tribunals Service n/a n/a 567 — 
			 West Northamptonshire Development Corporation n/a n/a 0 — 
			  
			 (b) (iii) Other bodies 
			 Commission for Local Administration 486 726 634 — 
			 Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre 190 208 222 — 
			 The Fire Service College 581 627 716 — 
			 Audit Commission for Local Authorities and the  National Health Service in England and Wales (28)— 13,024 16,256 — 
			 Leasehold Advisory Service (28)— (28)— (28)— — 
		
	
	n/a—Data not applicable
	(28) Not disclosed
	For 2005–06, employers' contributions are payable to the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (PCSPS) at one of four rates in the ranges 16.2 to 24.6 per cent. of pensionable pay, based on salary bands. The Scheme Actuary reviews employer contributions every four years following a full scheme valuation; last carried out as at 31 March 2003. The contribution rates reflect the cost of benefits as they accrue (net of employee contributions), not the costs as they are actually incurred, and reflect past experience of the scheme.

Local Authority Allowances

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the guidance and regulations the Government have published since May 1997 on allowances for local authority members of (a) national park authorities, (b) passenger transport authorities, (c) fire authorities, (d) police authorities and (e) regional chambers.

Phil Woolas: Legislation provides that special responsibility allowance may be payable to members representing their local authority at meetings of another body.
	Since 1997 guidance has been issued to accompany legislation on members' allowances in 2001 and 2003.
	Since 1997 the following legislation having relevance to attendance, and later special responsibility, allowances have been published:
	The Local Authorities (Members' Allowances) (Amendment) Regulations 1998/556 came into force: 1 April 1998
	The Local Authorities (Members' Allowances) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 1998/557 came into force: 1 April 1998
	The Local Authorities (Members' Allowances) (Amendment) Regulations 1999/1086 came into force: 30 April 1999
	The Local Authorities (Members' Allowances) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 1999/1087 came into force: 30 April 1999
	The Local Government Act 2000 came into force: 28 July 2001
	The Local Authorities (Members' Allowances) (England) Regulations 2001/1280 came into force: 4 May 2001
	The Local Authorities (Members' Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003/1021 came into force: 1 May 2003
	The Local Authorities (Members' Allowances) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2003/1692 came into force: 31 July 2003

Local Government Finance

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the representations the Government has received from hotel companies and the tourism industry in relation to the reform of local government finance in the last two years.

Phil Woolas: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has no record of any such representations. The Department for Culture Media and Sport have received copies of representations made by such groups to Sir Michael Lyons' independent Inquiry. Sir Michael published an interim report and consultation paper on 15 December. This report lists contributors to his inquiry and understand that links to the representations received will be posted shortly on the inquiry's website at: www.lyonsinquiry.org

Pay and Work Force Strategies

Michael Fallon: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many local authorities are implementing local government pay and workforce strategies.

Phil Woolas: A People Management Survey 2005 conducted by the Employers Organisation showed that 83 per cent. of local authorities have a workforce strategy in place.

Benefit Helplines

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff will be answering calls on each of the benefit helplines at his Department from 23 December 2005 to 3 January 2006; and what the equivalent figures were for (a) 2004 and (b) 2003.

James Plaskitt: The number of people answering calls at any helpline may vary during each day in order to provide as consistent a level of service as possible to the varying volume of calls being received.
	The information that is available is recorded in the table:
	
		
			  BEL (DCS) Disability Living Child Support Agency Debt Mgmt Jobcentre Plus Direct—First Contact Employer Direct National Benefit Fraud Hotline Pension Centres 
		
		
			 2005–06 
			 23 December 2005 22 348 185 30 1,762 60 33 745 
			 29 December 2005 27 264 108 16 (30)1,532 80 28 770 
			 30 December 2005 27 265 216 13 1,452 (32)71 24 709 
			 3 January 2006 38 311 445 24 1,951 250 35 767 
			  
			 2004–05 
			 24 December 2004 21 95 119 19 (31)n/a (33)n/a (34)n/a (35)n/a 
			 30 December 2004 27 149 169 21 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 31 December 2004 22 90 139 11 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 4 January 2005 41 306 286 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			  
			 2003–04 
			 23 December 2003 20 206 130 (29)n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 29 December 2003 32 81 76 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 30 December 2003 38 83 114 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 31 December 2003 21 53 152 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 2 January 2004 22 208 313 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
		
	
	
		
			  Pension Credit App Line Pension Direct Pension Guide Order Line Future Pension Centre RP Tele Claim IPC Pension Info Order Line 
		
		
			 2005–06
			 23 December 2005 259 133 71 84 57 44 9 
			 29 December 2005 (36)n/a 133 44 68 52 42 8 
			 30 December 2005 n/a 133 45 82 49 40 7 
			 3 January 2006 n/a 161 45 116 95 50 7 
			 
			 2004–05
			 24 December 2004 n/a 155 41 60 72 (29) 0 n/a (29)n/a 
			 30 December 2004 n/a 155 31 58 51 n/a n/a 
			 31 December 2004 n/a 155 46 43 36 n/a n/a 
			 4 January 2005 n/a 155 38 102 39 n/a n/a 
			 
			 2003–04
			 23 December 2003 n/a 141 49 (37)n/a 88 n/a n/a 
			 29 December 2003 n/a 141 61 n/a 84 n/a n/a 
			 30 December 2003 n/a 141 56 n/a 85 n/a n/a 
			 31 December 2003 n/a 141 41 n/a 62 n/a n/a 
			 2 January 2004 n/a 171 49 n/a 77 n/a n/a 
		
	
	n/a=Not available.
	(29) Debt Management figures are unavailable due to installation of new IT system.
	(30) In addition, Jobcentre Plus Direct, First Contact will have 194 staff answering calls from Scotland on 28 December 2005.
	(31) Jobcentre Plus Direct, First Contact figures are unavailable for 2003–04 and 2004–05 as, prior to the establishment of the new organisational structure in April 2004 calls, would have been dealt with right across the dispersed regional organisation.
	(32) In addition, Employer Direct will have six staff answering calls on 31 December 2005.
	(33) Employer Direct has only recently joined the Jobcentre Plus Directorate, exact figures are not available for 2003–04 or 2004–05.
	(34) National Benefit Fraud Hotline has only recently joined the Jobcentre Plus Directorate, exact figures are not available for 2003–04 or 2004–05.
	(35) Comparable Pension centre figures are not available for 2003–04 or 2004–05.
	(36) No further Pension Credit Application Line data is available.
	(37) Date for the Future Pension Centre is not available for 2003–04.
	(38) 0 Data for the International Pension Centre is not available for 2003–04 or 2004–05.
	(39)
	(40) Data for the Pension Information Order Line is not available for 2003–04 or 2004–05.
	Note:
	No information is available for the outsourced Winter Fuels Line.

Child Poverty

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many children were living in poverty in each year since 1975–76, measured in terms of (a) absolute low income, (b) relative low income and (c) material deprivation; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: The information requested is not available. The available information is in the tables.
	
		Children with income below 60 per cent. of 1996–97 median income held constant in real terms, 1994–05 to 2003–04, (absolute low income) Number (Million)
		
			  Below 60 per cent. median 
			 FRS (GB) Before housing costs After housing costs 
		
		
			 1994–95 3.3 4.3 
			 1995–96 3.2 4.4 
			 1996–97 3.2 4.2 
			 1997–98 3.0 4.0 
			 1998–99 2.8 3.9 
			 1999–2000 2.4 3.6 
			 2000–01 2.0 3.0 
			 2001–02 1.6 2.5 
			 2002–03 1.5 2.2 
			 2003–04 1.4 2.2 
		
	
	
		Children falling below 60 per cent. of contemporay median income, (relative low income) Number (Million)
		
			  Below 60 per cent. median 
			 FRS (GB) Before housing costs After housing costs 
		
		
			 1994–95 2.9 4.0 
			 1995–96 2.8 4.0 
			 1996–97 3.2 4.2 
			 1997–98 3.1 4.1 
			 1998–99 3.1 4.1 
			 1999–2000 3.0 4.1 
			 2000–01 2.7 3.8 
			 2001–02 2.6 3.7 
			 2002–03 2.6 3.6 
			 2003–04 2.6 3.5 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The Family Resources Survey (FRS) data is for all financial years 1994–95 until 2003–04. Comparisons of estimates between the two sources should be treated carefully.
	2. FRS figures are for Great Britain. The reference period for FRS figures is single financial years.
	Source:
	FRS.
	Detailed information about the number and proportion of children living in low income households is published in 'Households Below Average Income 1994/95–2003/04', available in the Library. The report includes comparisons of incomes against low income thresholds, such as the commonly used relative low income threshold of 60 per cent. of contemporary median income.
	Data to measure material deprivation has been collected on the Family Resources Survey since 2004. Baseline data for the material deprivation and low income combined tier of the child poverty measure will be available in spring 2006.

Child Poverty

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of children in (a) working and (b) workless households were living in relative poverty in the last period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: The seventh annual "Opportunity for all" report (Cm 6673) sets out the Government's strategy for tackling poverty and social exclusion and reports progress against a range of indicators. Detailed information about the number and proportion of children living in low income households is published in "Households Below Average Income 1994/95–2003/04", available in the Library. The threshold of below 60 per cent. contemporary median income is the most commonly used in reporting trends in low income.
	The information requested is in the table.
	
		Percentage of children living in households with income less than 60 per cent. of contemporary median income, Great Britain
		
			 2003–04 Percentage 
		
		
			 Before housing costs  
			 Working 13 
			 Workless 55 
			 After housing costs  
			 Working 17 
			 Workless 77 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Working households are defined as having at least one adult in work, where an adult is over 16 years of age including those above state retirement age.
	2. Workless households are defined as having no adults in work.

Economic Inactivity

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the recent level of economic inactivity among young people.

Margaret Hodge: Since 1997 the proportion of the total population aged 16–24 not in full-time education or work has gone down. Without this improvement the number of jobless young people not in full-time education would be 50,000 higher than it is now.
	This reflects the success of the New Deal, which has helped in virtually eradicating long-term youth unemployment.

Incapacity Benefit

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of recipients of incapacity benefit are incapacitated as a result of (a) physical disabilities or injuries, (b) stress, depression and other mental health problems and (c) drug or alcohol dependency.

Anne McGuire: The information is not available in the format requested. There is no specific group of diagnoses that covers physical disabilities or injuries. Stress, depression and other mental health problems all fall within the mental and behavioural disorders group of diagnoses, as do drug abuse and alcoholism.
	The available information is in the following table.
	
		Incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance claimants, by diagnosis group, at 31 May 2005.
		
			  Number of IB/SDA claimants Percentage of all diagnoses 
		
		
			 All cases 2,784,000 100.0 
			 Certain infectious and parasitic diseases 21,000 0.8 
			 Neoplasms 39,900 1.4 
			 Diseases of the blood and blood forming organs and certain diseases involving the immune mechanism 4,500 0.2 
			 Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases 39,700 1.4 
			
			 Mental and behavioural disorders 1,086,100 39.0 
			 of which:   
			 Alcoholism 48,000 1.7 
			 Drug abuse 48,300 1.7 
			
			 Diseases of the nervous system 166,300 6.0 
			 Diseases of the eye and adnexa 19,700 0.7 
			 Diseases of the ear and mastoid process 12,100 0.4 
			 Diseases of the circulatory system 168,900 6.1 
			 Diseases of the respiratory system 65,600 2.4 
			 Diseases of the digestive system 43,300 1.6 
			 Diseases of the skin and subcutaneous system 16,900 0.6 
			 Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue 524,300 18.8 
			 Diseases of the genitourinary system 19,800 0.7 
			 Pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium 4,700 0.2 
			 Certain conditions originating in the perinatal period — — 
			 Congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities 25,200 0.9 
			 Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified 331,400 11.9 
			 Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes 157,500 5.7 
			 Factors influencing health status and contact with health services 37,100 1.3 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures rounded to the nearest 100.
	2. 'Claimant' figures include all incapacity benefit (IB) and severe disability allowance (SDA), including IB credits-only cases.
	3. Figures for the years 1997 to 1999 have been produced using the 5 per cent. data and have been rated up proportionally using the Great Britain WPLS 100 per cent. IB/SDA totals.
	4. Diagnoses are taken from the International Classification of Diseases (ICD10).
	Source:
	DWP Information Directorate, Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS) 100 per cent. data.

Incapacity Benefit

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many recipients of incapacity benefit have been in receipt of the benefit for (a) less than one year, (b) between one and two years, (c) between two and three years, (d) between three and four years, (e) between four and five years and (f) more than five years.

Anne McGuire: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer my hon. Friend the Minister for Pensions Reform (Mr. Timms) gave on 8 November 2005, Official Report, column 374W to the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, Central (Jim Cousins).

Leaked Letter

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what evidence his Department has given to the Treasury inquiry into the leaking of a letter from the Chancellor of the Exchequer to Lord Turner in November 2005; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The Department has undertaken an investigation and provided a report for the Treasury inquiry.

New Deal

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was spent on the New Deal in each year from 1997–98; how much has been allocated for each year to 2008–09; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him on 12 January 2006, Official Report, column 807W.

Occupational Health

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on progress on the implementation of the natural strategy for occupational health.

Anne McGuire: We published, in conjunction with the Secretary of State for Health and the Chair of the Health and Safety Commission, the strategy "Health, Work and Well-being—Caring for our future" on 19 October. This strategy is a crucial part of delivering on the Government's commitment to improving the health and well-being of the working age population.
	Since its publication, ministerial colleagues and officials from all three organisations have been working hard to turn the strategy into actions which will make a real difference.
	Central to the strategy's success is a commitment to partnership working and one of the three key themes is "Engaging Stakeholders". Plans for a range of stakeholder activities are well under way, including the organisation of a stakeholder summit involving all those with a part to play in improving and promoting the health and well-being of people of working age.
	We are also finalising arrangements for the recruitment of a national Director for Occupational Health which we intend to advertise shortly.

Pensioners

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many single women pensioners in Stroud constituency are receiving assistance to bring them up to the minimum pension level.

Stephen Timms: At the end of September 2005 there were 2,000 single women pensioners in receipt of guarantee credit element of pension credit in the Stroud constituency.
	Notes:
	1. Caseloads are rounded to the nearest hundred. 2. Data from the Generalised Matching Service (GMS) 100 per cent. scan taken on 16 September 2005. The figure has been rated up to give month-end estimates. 3. These figures are early estimates. Operational processing times mean that a number of claim commencements and terminations are not reflected in the figures. The final figures incorporated within the Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS) will take account of such cases. 4. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.
	Source:
	DWP Information Directorate 100 per cent. data.

Pensions

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of mean average earnings the single person's basic state pension represented in each year since the link between uprating and earnings was broken.

Stephen Timms: The information is in the table.
	
		
			  Full basic state pension as a percentage of mean average earnings 
		
		
			 1980 24.6 
			 1981 23.7 
			 1982 24.1 
			 1983 23.0 
			 1984 22.5 
			 1985 22.4 
			 1986 21.0 
			 1987 19.9 
			 1988 18.8 
			 1989 18.2 
			 1990 17.8 
			 1991 18.3 
			 1992 17.8 
			 1993 17.7 
			 1994 17.7 
			 1995 17.4 
			 1996 17.4 
			 1997 17.0 
			 1998 16.5 
			 1999 16.4 
			 2000 15.9 
			 2001 16.1 
			 2002 16.0 
			 2003 15.9 
			 2004 15.8 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The link with earnings was broken in November 1980.
	2. The average earnings figure is for full-time employees in the April of that year and has been taken from the New Earnings Survey prior to 1998 and from Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings since 1998.
	3. The year refers to the year of uprating. From 1980 to 1985 this took place in November, in 1986 it occurred in July and since 1987 annual uprating has taken place in April.
	Source:
	2004 Annual Abstract of Statistics published by the Department for Work and Pensions.

Pensions

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 7 December 2005, Official Report, column 1374W, on pensions, to the right hon. and learned Member for Kensington and Chelsea (Sir Malcolm Rifkind), if he will provide his latest estimate of the number of (a) pension scheme members who have lost pension savings as a result of their pension scheme winding up, (b) pension schemes which have completed the wind-up process since 1997 and which are not included in these figures and (c) people who have lost pension savings as a result.

Stephen Timms: With regard to part (a) and (c) of the question, the information is not available. The Government is currently inviting notifications from affected pension schemes to the Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS), and is therefore obtaining some information on the number of members facing pensions losses due to company insolvency. In due course, information will also be collected on individual members in schemes qualifying for FAS. Based on our most recent data collection for the FAS, we know of around 70,000 non pensioner members in schemes that are potentially eligible for assistance from the FAS as a result of their schemes being wound up in circumstances of insolvency or where the employer no longer exists.
	With regard to part (b) of the question, information in the following table was provided by the Pensions Regulator and shows the number of schemes that have wound up each year since 2 April 1997. This includes all schemes that have wound up, whether fully funded or under funded. The Pensions Regulator only holds the present status of a scheme and only those schemes that have completed winding up procedures are included in these figures.
	
		
			 Effective date scheme status was changed register to 'wound up' Number of schemes Total membership 
		
		
			 2 April 1997 to 31 March 1998 8,248 54,439 
			 1 April 1998 to 31 March 1999 7,708 71,351 
			 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2000 8,462 64,608 
			 1 April 2000 to 31 March 2001 6,720 65,510 
			 1 April 2001 to 31 March 2002 5,822 128,060 
			 1 April 2002 to 31 March 2003 6,250 145,039 
			 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2004 6,316 127,839 
			 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2005 4,328 78,878 
			 Total 53,854 735,724 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. A wound up scheme is one which has notified the Pensions Regulator (or its predecessor the Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority) that it has completed winding up procedures.
	2. Schemes are required to notify the Pensions Regulator of changes in scheme status as soon as is reasonably practical. This means that the data for the year ended 31 March 2005 is provisional.
	3. The figures are based on information held on the register as at 11 January 2006. The effective date for the completion of wind up is based on the last scheme status change date.
	4. Figures for 1997–8 commence on 2 April 1997 because, where the date at which the scheme completed winding up procedures, prior to 1 April 1997 cannot be ascertained, a default value of 1 April 1997 is used as the date on which the scheme wound up. As a result a very large number of schemes are recorded as wound up with a scheme status change date of 1 April 1997, even if they had wound up at some earlier date. Including schemes with this default date in the table would significantly overstate the number of schemes that wound up during 1997, so a start date of 2 April has been used for 1997–98.
	5. Total membership includes active, deferred and pensioner members. It is not possible to provide a breakdown of these numbers.
	6. During 2005–06 the Pensions Regulator will continue with its plans to issue a scheme return form to all occupational pension schemes that are registered in the UK. This will provide the Pension Regulator with access to enhanced data in future years.

Pensions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the cost of paying the basic state pension to all pensioners aged 75 years and above regardless of contributions (a) assuming an earnings link from 2010–11 and (b) continuing the present uprating policy in (i) each of the next four years, (ii) 2010, (iii) 2020, (iv) 2030, (v) 2040 and (vi) 2050.

Stephen Timms: The information requested is as follows:
	Part (a)  
	
		Great Britain £ billion(51)
		
			  Gross cost Net of IRBs Net of IRBs and tax 
		
		
			 2006 2.0 1.4 1.4 
			 2007 2.0 1.5 1.4 
			 2008 2.1 1.5 1.5 
			 2009 2.2 1.6 1.5 
			 2010 2.6 1.8 1.7 
			 2020 8.4 4.7 4.2 
			 2030 18.1 9.2 8.0 
			 2040 34.0 16.6 14.2 
			 2050 55.4 26.7 22.8 
		
	
	(51) 2005–06 price terms.
	Part (b)  
	
		Great Britain £ billion(52)
		
			  Gross cost Net of IRBs Net of IRBs and tax 
		
		
			 2006 2.0 1.4 1.4 
			 2007 2.0 1.5 1.4 
			 2008 2.1 1.5 1.5 
			 2009 2.2 1.6 1.5 
			 2010 2.2 1.6 1.5 
			 2020 2.7 1.9 1.9 
			 2030 2.2 1.6 1.6 
			 2040 2.1 1.5 1.5 
			 2050 2.3 1.7 1.6 
		
	
	(52) 2005–06 price terms.
	Notes:
	1. The policy change is assumed to take place from 2006–07. In part (a) the Basic State Pension (BSP) is assumed to be uprated by prices growth (including underpin) in 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10 and uprated by earnings growth from 2010–11. In part (b) it is assumed that the BSP would be uprated by prices growth (plus underpin).
	2. Gross costs are estimated by the Government Actuary's Department and are consistent with the pre-Budget report 2005 assumptions.
	3. Savings in income-related benefit (IRBs) such as pension credit and housing benefit, and potential increases in tax revenue, are estimated using the DWP policy simulation model and April 2006 benefit rates. Savings are assumed to be a constant proportion of the estimated gross cost over time.

Poverty

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what measure of poverty his Department uses; and how many people his Department defined as poor in (a) the UK and (b) Stroud constituency in each year since 1997.

Margaret Hodge: Poverty is about more than low income. It is also about health, housing, education and the quality of the environment. The seventh annual "Opportunity for all" report (Cm 6673), published in October 2005, sets out the Government's strategy for tackling poverty and social exclusion and presents information on the indicators used to measure progress against this strategy.
	Specific information regarding individuals living in low income households is published in "Households Below Average Income 1994/95–2003/04", available in the Library. The report includes estimates of relative low income, absolute low income, and persistent low income. A household is defined as experiencing relative low income if it has an income below a relative low income threshold, such as the commonly used relative threshold of 60 per cent. of contemporary median. A household is defined as experiencing absolute low income if it has an income below an absolute low income threshold, such as the commonly used absolute threshold of 60 per cent. of median from an historic year that has been adjusted for inflation. The Households Below Average Income report currently uses the 1996–07 median for absolute low income estimates. A household is defined as experiencing persistent low income if it has experienced relative low income for three or four years out of four consecutive years.
	The number and percentage of individuals living in households with incomes below 60 per cent. of median income—known as "relative" low income—from 1996–07 to 2003–04 are presented in the following table. Figures are presented for Great Britain as results for the United Kingdom are only available from 2002–03 onwards and are not available below regional level.
	
		Number and percentage of individuals with incomes less than 60 per cent. of contemporary median, Great Britain
		
			  Before housing costs After housing costs 
			  Number Percentage Number Percentage 
		
		
			 1996–97 10.2 18 13.8 25 
			 1997–98 10.2 18 13.3 24 
			 1998–99 10.2 18 13.2 24 
			 1999–2000 10.0 18 13.2 24 
			 2000–01 9.6 17 12.7 23 
			 2001–02 9.6 17 12.3 22 
			 2002–03 9.7 17 12.2 22 
			 2003–04 9.6 17 12.0 21 
		
	
	Note:
	The table shows percentages rounded to the nearest percentage point, and numbers in millions rounded to the nearest 100,000.

Administrative Costs

Angus Robertson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs which functions of her core Department are carried out in (a) England and (b) London; and what administration costs were associated with these functions for each area in the last year.

Bridget Prentice: The total administration costs outturn of the core Department, which includes the Court Service and Public Guardianship Office, in 2004–05 was £915 million. It is not possible for the Department to provide full detailed information of the administration costs of the functions carried out by the core Department in (a) England and (b) London in the last year without incurring disproportionate costs.
	The administration budgets regime overseen by the Treasury relates to Whitehall Departments only. The Department does not monitor national, regional or London administration costs separately and it is a matter for the devolved Administrations how they control their own administration costs.

Administrative Costs

Michael Weir: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs which functions of her core Department are carried out in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) Wales; and what administration costs were associated with these functions for each area in the last year.

Bridget Prentice: The total administration costs outturn of the core Department, which includes the Court Service and Public Guardianship Office, in 2004–05 was £915 million. It is not possible for the Department to provide full detailed information of the administration costs of the functions carried out by the core Department in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) Wales in the last year without incurring disproportionate costs.
	The administration budgets regime overseen by the Treasury relates to Whitehall Departments only. The Department does not monitor national or regional administration costs separately and it is a matter for the devolved Administrations how they control their own administration costs.

Departmental Expenditure

Michael Weir: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the annual expenditure on (a) fixtures and fittings, (b) general office expenses and (c) office equipment was of her (i) Department and (ii) each (A) non-departmental public body, (B) executive agency and (C) other public body for which her Department is responsible in (1) Scotland, (2) Wales, (3) each English region and (4) Northern Ireland in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is for 2005–06 in each case.

Bridget Prentice: It is not possible for the Department to provide full detailed information as requested in the question without incurring disproportionate costs.
	The administration budgets regime overseen by the Treasury relates to Whitehall Departments only. The Department does not monitor national, regional or London administration costs separately and it is a matter for the devolved Administrations how they control their own administration costs.

Departmental Expenditure

Michael Weir: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what expenditure on (a) buildings and (b) insurance of buildings and staff was of (i) her Department and (ii) each (A) non-departmental public body, (B) executive agency and (C) other public body for which her Department is responsible in (1) Scotland, (2) Wales, (3) each English region and (4) Northern Ireland in each of the last three financial years; and what the planned expenditure is for 2005–06 in each case.

Bridget Prentice: It is not possible for the Department to provide full detailed information as requested in the question without incurring disproportionate costs. However, the Department does not incur any costs to insure any of its buildings as the Crown carries the risk.
	The administration budgets regime overseen by the Treasury relates to Whitehall Departments only. The Department does not monitor national or regional London administration costs separately and it is a matter for the devolved Administrations how they control their own administration costs.

Departmental Estate

Pete Wishart: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will list the former (a) buildings and (b) land of (i) her Department and (ii) (A) non-departmental public bodies, (B) agencies and (C) independent statutory bodies for which her Department is responsible which have been sold since 7 May 1997; what the sale price of each (1) was at the time of sale and (2) is at current prices; and whether the money accrued was (x) retained by her Department and (y) claimed by the Treasury.

Bridget Prentice: It is not possible for the Department to provide full detailed information as requested in the question without incurring disproportionate costs.

Prisoners (Right to Vote)

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the timetable is for the Government's formal response to the European Court of Human Rights ruling on giving prisoners the right to vote; and if she will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: The judgment raises a number of complex issues which will need careful consideration, including, in particular, what specific measures may need to be taken to implement it. The Government are giving urgent consideration to the judgment, and will indicate what steps they intends to take next shortly.

Accident and Emergency Departments

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many children under the age of five attended the accident and emergency department in hospitals in England in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what proportion of children under the age of five admitted to accident and emergency departments in hospitals in England in the last 12 months were subsequently taken into care by social services;
	(3)  what proportion of children under the age of five who attended accident and emergency departments in hospitals in England in the last 12 months were treated for conditions related to the consumption of inappropriate objects;
	(4)  how many children under the age of five years attended the accident and emergency department in hospitals in (a) Hull and (b) the East Riding in each of the last five years.

Liam Byrne: The comprehensive data requested is not currently collected centrally.

Accident and Emergency Departments

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what evidence she used when setting the target of 98 per cent. of patients being seen within four hours of attendance at accident and emergency departments.

Liam Byrne: Studies show that almost all patients, with no non-clinical delays, should be able to complete their treatment in an accident and emergency (A&E) department within four hours.
	The 98 per cent. minimum operating standard was set to allow for the minority of patients who clinically require more than four hours in A&E. It followed a wide consultation with clinicians and their representative organisations.

Ambulance Service

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many emergency calls were answered within the Staffordshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what proportion of emergency calls resulted in an ambulance arriving at the scene of the reported incident within the Government's target response times in Staffordshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust in each of the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: The numbers of emergency calls answered by each ambulance service from 2000–05 are published in table 3 of the statistical bulletin, "Ambulance services, England: 2004–05". This is available in the Library and on the Department's website at: www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/11/36/79/04113679.pdf.
	Reported performance for Staffordshire Ambulance Services National Health Service Trust, for the years 2000–01 to 2004–05 is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Percentage of category A calls responded to within 8 minutes Percentage of category A calls responded to within 19 minutes Percentage of category B/C calls responded to within 19 minutes Percentage of arrivals not more than 15 minutes late, for urgent journeys 
		
		
			 2000–01 87.4 99.8 99.6 93.3 
			 2001–02 87.5 99.6 99.6 91.1 
			 2002–03 86.4 99.8 99.7 92.6 
			 2003–04 86.6 99.7 99.7 95.1 
			 2004–05 88.3 99.8 (54)99.8 95.1 
		
	
	(54) Data for category B calls for the period October 2004 to March 2005.
	Further information can be found in the statistical bulletin.

Assessment Care Plans

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what account her Department takes of the supporting people assessment in the guidance for the single assessment process; and how the resulting single assessment care plan operates in relation to the support plan.

Liam Byrne: Guidance on the single assessment process (SAP) does not formally extend to housing authorities or other statutory agencies. However, it is recognised that, for many older people, housing services can make important contributions to promoting independence and well-being. Where possible, local national health service bodies and councils are encouraged to engage with housing authorities as they implement the SAP. In addition, where local assessment for housing services has been incorporated into the SAP for older people, it is also expected that all services which are provided are reflected in the care plan and any associated support plan.
	Furthermore, as the hon. Member will be aware from replies given by the Minister for Local Government, the hon. Member for Oldham, East and Saddleworth (Mr. Woolas) on 14 December 2005, Official Report, columns 1970–71W, there is no standardised process for supporting people assessments.

Assessment Care Plans

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to revise single assessment process guidance to cover (a) housing-related needs and (b) housing-related service options.

Liam Byrne: There are no plans at this time to revise the single assessment process (SAP) guidance to cover housing-related needs and housing-related service options. However, as set out in the Office of Deputy Prime Minister consultation, "Creating Sustainable Communities: Supporting People", work is planned to consider how housing-related support might be made part of integrated assessment processes. We will consider at the appropriate time whether this work might require changes to SAP or other relevant guidance.

Brain Tumours (Treatment)

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken by her Department to improve access to rehabilitation services for brain tumour patients.

Liam Byrne: The Department scoping study is looking at rehabilitation services, including those for brain tumour patients, currently provided by the national health service and social care, with the aim of:
	mapping levels of provision and models of service and, where possible, the cost-effectiveness of rehabilitative services;
	identifying any gaps in provision;
	identifying good practice exemplars; and
	identifying opportunities to improve services
	The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is producing guidance on "Improving Outcomes in Brain and Other Central Nervous System Tumours". It will include advice on rehabilitation services for patients with these forms of cancer. A second draft of this guidance has recently been consulted on and the final guidance is due to be issued in June 2006.

Child Health (West Cheshire)

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children under the age of 10 years in (a) West Cheshire Primary Care Trust and (b) Eddisbury constituency have (i) osteogenesis imperfecta and (ii) ligamentous lexity.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is not held centrally.

Children's Hospices

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what guidance has been issued to primary care trusts about commissioning care from children's hospices;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the funding of children's hospices,
	(3)  if she will list the sums paid to children's hospices by each primary care trust in the last year for which figures are available.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 24 November 2005
	In our guide "Commissioning Children's and Young People's Palliative Care Services", launched on 29 November 2005, we give commissioners important advice about the key aspects of children's palliative care which will improve the quality of commissioning and provision of services. This practical guide will stimulate improvements in commissioning and promote quality care for children, young people and their families in a range of settings, for example, palliative care at home, in hospital or in a hospice.
	Primary care trusts (PCTs) working with their local authority partners and stakeholders, remain best placed to decide the level and range of palliative care needed by the children and young people in their locality and are able to respond directly to their needs. We have extended our manifesto pledge to increase funding for end of life care to include care for children and young people. We will make further announcements on this funding as soon as we can.
	Information is not collected centrally on the amount of funding children's hospices receive from PCTs.

Dentistry

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of people in Beverley and Holderness were registered with an NHS dentist in each of the last 10 years for which records are available.

Rosie Winterton: The available information, at primary care trust (PCT) level, is shown in the table.
	
		Proportion of patients registered in PCTs serving the Beverley and Holderness constituency as at 30 September each year Percentage
		
			   East Yorkshire PCT Yorkshire Wolds and Coast PCT 
		
		
			 1997 46.8 45.0 
			 1998 44.2 38.0 
			 1999 42.9 40.8 
			 2000 43.1 41.4 
			 2001 43.1 41.0 
			 2002 43.6 39.5 
			 2003 42.6 38.8 
			
			 2004 39.6 39.6 
			 2005 40.1 35.7 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. 2004 and 2005 data includes General Dental Service (CDS) and Personal Dental Service (PDS) registrations/PDS patients seen (counts patients seen in the past 15 months for some PDS schemes).
	2. Data for 2003 and earlier do not include those PDS schemes that do not have any registrations (eg Dental Access Centres), and is therefore not directly comparable with 2004 and 2005 data.
	3. Most PDS schemes that have registrations have re-registration periods in excess of fifteen months, so the figures for PDS schemes are generally higher than they would have been for the same attendance pattern under GDS.
	4. Proxy registrations are not available at constituency level.
	5. 1997–2000 percentages have been calculated using 2001 population data.
	6. 2005 percentages have been calculated using 2004 population data.
	Source:
	Dental Practice Board

Dentistry

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of children in Beverley and Holderness constituency are registered with an NHS dentist.

Rosie Winterton: Information on children registered with a dentist at constituency level is not available as a percentage of the total number of children because population data is not available at constituency level.
	Table one gives the total number of children registered with a dentist since 1997 in Beverley and Holderness.
	
		Table 1: General Dental Services (GDS) and Personal Dental Services (PDS)Number of children registered with a national health service dentist in Beverley and Holderness constituency, East Yorkshire primary care trust (PCT) and Yorkshire Wolds and Coast PCT as at 30 September each year. Beverley and Holderness constituency is served by both PCT's.
		
			  Beverley and Holderness constituency East Yorkshire PCT Yorkshire Wolds and Coast PCT 
		
		
			 1997 10,915 23,669 16,558 
			 1998 10,614 22,747 14,802 
			 1999 10,956 22,306 15,442 
			 2000 12,258 23,488 15,752 
			 2001 12,476 22,644 16,038 
			 2002 12,312 22,730 15,439 
			 2003 12,087 22,005 15,210 
			 
			 2004 11,676 21,650 15,048 
			 2005 11,277 21,819 13,921 
		
	
	Table two shows the percentage of children registered in each of the local PCTs.
	
		Table 2: Proportion of children registered with a dentist in East Yorkshire PCT and Yorkshire Wolds and Coast PCT as at 30 September in each specified year Percentage
		
			   East Yorkshire PCT Yorkshire Wolds and Coast PCT 
		
		
			 1997 64.6 54.5 
			 1998 62.1 48.8 
			 1999 60.9 50.9 
			 2000 64.1 51.9 
			 2001 61.8 52.9 
			 2002 62.1 50.4 
			 2003 60.2 49.7 
			
			 2004 59.3 49.2 
			 2005 59.8 45.5 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. 2004 and 2005 data includes GDS and PDS registrations/PDS patients seen (counts patients seen in the past 15 months for some PDS schemes).
	2. Data for 2003 and earlier do not include those PDS schemes that do not have any registrations (e.g. dental access centres), and is therefore not directly comparable with 2004 and 2005 data.
	3. Most PDS schemes that have registrations have re-registration periods in excess of fifteen months, so the figures for PDS schemes are generally higher than they would have been for the same attendance pattern under GDS.
	4. Proxy registrations are not available at constituency level.
	5. 1997 to 2000 percentages have been calculated using 2001 population data.
	6. 2005 percentages have been calculated using 2004 population data.
	Source:
	Dental Practice Board

Dentistry

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in Westmorland and Lonsdale were registered with an NHS dentist in each of the last 10 years for which records are available.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 16 January 2006
	The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		General dental services (GDS) and personal dental services (PDS), number of people registered with a national health service dentist in Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency in September each year
		
			  Number of patients 
		
		
			 1997 58,994 
			 1998 54,923 
			 1999 56,870 
			 2000 58,751 
			 2001 59,400 
			 2002 58,926 
			 2003 54,793 
			   
			 2004 53,642 
			 2005 45,857 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. 2004 and 2005 data includes GDS and PDS registrations/PDS patients seen (counts patients seen in the past 15 months for some PDS schemes).
	2. Data for 2003 and earlier does not include those PDS schemes that do not have any registrations, for example, dental access centres, and is therefore not directly comparable with 2004 and 2005 data.
	3. Most PDS schemes that have registrations have re-registration periods in excess of 15 months, so the figures for PDS schemes are generally higher than they would have been for the same attendance pattern under GDS.
	4. This information was provided by the Dental Practice Board and relates to patients registered with dentists whose practice address postcodes are within the constituency boundary.
	Source:
	Dental Practice Board.

Dentistry

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of the population in the area served by Croydon Primary Care Trust was registered with an NHS dentist in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is provided in the table.
	
		General dental services and personal dental services—estimated percentage of the population registered in Croydon primary care trust as at 30 September each year
		
			  Estimated percentage of population 
		
		
			 1997 56 
			 1998 45 
			 1999 47 
			 2000 44 
			 2001 44 
			 2002 44 
			 2003 45 
			 2004 41 
			 2005 42 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The percentages of the population registered with a dentist (or registration rate) have been estimated by including patient registrations in the area of the dentist, that is according to the postcode of the dental surgery and not the patient's address. So the registration rates for some areas may be affected by some patients receiving dental treatment in a different area from the one in which they live.
	2. Estimates have been calculated using population estimates for the nearest year for which data are available. 1997–2000 percentages have been calculated using 2001 population estimates. 2005 percentages have been calculated using 2004 population estimates.
	Source:
	NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre

Dentistry

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS dentists per head of the population were practising in Lancashire in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		General dental services and personal dental services Dentists per 10,000 population in Cumbria and Lancashire strategic health authority as at 30 September each year
		
			  Dentists per 10,000 population 
		
		
			 1997 3.43 
			 1998 3.53 
			 1999 3.59 
			 2000 3.52 
			 2001 3.64 
			 2002 3.58 
			 2003 3.60 
			 2004 3.76 
			 2005 4.10 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. 2005 data calculated using Office for National Statistics 2004 mid-year population estimates based on the 2001 census.
	2. Figures have been rounded to two decimal places.
	Source:
	NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre.

Departmental Expenditure

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on advertising by (a) her Department, (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii) executive agency for which her Department is responsible and (c) each independent statutory body, organisation and body financially sponsored by her Department in each year since May 1997.

Jane Kennedy: The table shows the expenditure on major information campaigns and advertising commissioned by the Department's Communications Directorate in each year since 1997.
	
		
			  £ million 
			 Financial year Advertising expenditure 
		
		
			 1997–98 2.04 
			 1998–99 8.53 
			 1999–2000 15.17 
			 2000–01 20.80 
			 2001–02 20.40 
			 2002–03 23.13 
			 2003–04 38.98 
			 2004–05 32.7 
			 2005–06(55) 23 
		
	
	(55) Estimate.
	We have no central record of advertising spend by non-departmental public bodies, executive agencies or independent statutory bodies or organisations financially sponsored by the Department and could not obtain these without incurring disproportionate costs.

General Practitioners

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioners were paid (a) £130,000 to £150,000, (b) £110,000 to £129,999, (c) £90,000 to £109,999, (d) £70,000 to £89,999 and (e) £50,000 to £69,999 in 2004–05; and how many in each category worked (i) full-time and (ii) part-time.

Liam Byrne: Data on general practitioners paid between £150,000 and £50,000 in 2004–05 and split between full-time and part-time is not available centrally.

Hospital Treatment (Lincolnshire)

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients from (a) North Lincolnshire and (b) North East Lincolnshire received hospital treatment in Hull in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Liam Byrne: The table shows the counts of finished consultant episodes and patients at the Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals National Health Service Trust where the patients are resident within the North Lincolnshire Primary Care Trust (PCT) and the North East Lincolnshire PCT.
	
		Counts of finished consultant episodes and patients provider of treatment: Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust NHS Hospitals, England 2002–03 to 2004–05
		
			 PCT of residence Finished consultant episodes Patient counts 
		
		
			 (a) North Lincolnshire PCT   
			 2002–03 3,127 2,031 
			 2003–04 3,288 2,074 
			 2004–05 3,550 2,112 
			
			 (b) North East Lincolnshire PCT   
			 2002–03 1,559 1,088 
			 2003–04 1,762 1,170 
			 2004–05 2,085 1,308 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Finished consultant episode (FCE)
	A FCE is defined as a period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Please note that the figures do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the year.
	2. Patient counts
	Patient counts are based on the unique hospital episode statistics (HES) patient identifier (HESID). This identifier is derived based on patient's date of birth, postcode, sex, local patient identifier and NHS number, using an agreed algorithm. Where data are incomplete, HESID might erroneously link episodes or fail to recognise episodes for the same patient. Care is therefore needed, especially where duplicate records persist in the data. The patient count cannot be summed across a table where patients may have episodes in more than one cell.
	3. Primary care trust (PCT) and strategic health authority (SHA) data quality
	PCT and SHA data were added to historic data-years in the HES database using 2002–03 boundaries, as a one-off exercise in 2004. The quality of the data on PCT of treatment and SHA of treatment are poor in 1996–97, 1997–98 and 1998–99, with over a third of all finished episodes having missing values in these years. Data quality of PCT of general practitioner (GP) practice and SHA of GP practice in 1997–98 and 1998–99 are also poor, with a high proportion missing values where practices changed or ceased to exist. There is less change in completeness of the residence-based fields over time, where the majority of unknown values are due to missing postcodes on birth episodes. Users of time series analysis including these years need to be aware of these issues in their interpretation of the data.
	4. Ungrossed data
	Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (ie the data are ungrossed).
	Source:
	Hospital Episode Statistics, Health and Social Care Information Centre.

Little Haven Children's Hospice

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will visit Little Haven Children's Hospice in Castle Point to review the work of the hospice and its funding levels.

Liam Byrne: We greatly value the work undertaken by children's hospices, such as Little Haven, in providing hospice care as part of the mix of palliative care services needed by families with a child who has a life-threatening condition. I am pleased to have already been able to visit a number of palliative care settings, including children's hospices.
	Our guide "Commissioning Children's and Young People's Palliative Care Services", launched on 29 November, has given commissioners important advice about the key aspects of children's palliative care which will improve the quality of commissioning and provision of services. This practical guide will stimulate improvements in commissioning and promote quality care for children, young people and their families in a range of settings, for example, palliative care at home, in hospital or in a hospice.
	The funding Little Haven may receive from the national health service is a matter for negotiation between the hospice and the local primary care trusts who contract for their services. I understand an agreement is in place.

NHS Walk-in Centres

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how much NHS walk-in centres have cost in each year since their establishment;
	(2)  how many attendances there have been at walk-in centres in each quarter since 1 January 2003.

Liam Byrne: National health service walk-in centres are managed locally by their host primary care trust or NHS trust. They are not separate accounting entities and their running costs are not routinely collected or held centrally by the Department.
	Data on the number of visits to NHS walk-in centres in each quarter from January 2003 to September 2005, the latest full quarter for which data are available, are shown in the table.
	
		Visits to NHS walk-in centres
		
			 Period Number 
		
		
			 January to March 2003 335,358 
			 April to June 2003 391,940 
			 July to September 2003 412,829 
			 October to December 2003 387,570 
			 January to March 2004 389,784 
			 April to June 2004 477,667 
			 July to September 2004 503,144 
			 October to December 2004 516,406 
			 January to March 2005 571,305 
			 April to June 2005 652,367 
			 July to September 2005 667,045 
		
	
	Source:
	Department of Health

Primary Care Trusts

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the allocations to each primary care trust within the Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Strategic Health Authority were in each of the last three years; and what the capital allocations to each primary care trust were in each year.

Rosie Winterton: The 2003–04 to 2005–06 revenue allocations to primary care trusts (PCTs) were announced in December 2002. The table shows the revenue allocations made to PCTs within the Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Strategic Health Authority (SHA) for this period.
	
		
			  Allocation Three year total increase 
			 PCT 2003–04 (£000) 2004–05 (£000) 2005–06 (£000) £000 Percentage 
		
		
			 Bath and North East Somerset 140,354 153,237 167,238 38,915 30.33 
			 Bristol North 204,387 223,245 243,728 56,928 30.48 
			 Bristol South and West 171,215 186,424 202,688 45,779 29.18 
			 Cheltenham and Tewkesbury 124,221 136,208 148,726 35,685 31.57 
			 Cotswold and Vale 159,474 173,643 188,390 42,208 28.87 
			 Kennet and North Wilts 150,973 164,383 178,727 40,380 29.19 
			 North Somerset 151,428 166,342 182,185 44,653 32.47 
			 South Gloucestershire 172,121 188,320 205,893 48,895 31.14 
			 South Wiltshire 99,642 108,493 117,958 26,642 29.18 
			 Swindon 152,323 166,721 182,319 43,428 31.27 
			 West Gloucestershire 188,232 206,016 224,782 53,137 30.96 
			 West Wiltshire 90,474 99,238 108,621 26,316 31.97 
		
	
	In addition, revenue allocations, covering 2006–07 and 2007–08 were announced in February 2005. The revenue allocations made to PCTs in the Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire SHA for 2006–07 and 2007–08 are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Allocation Two year total increase 
			 PCT 2006–07 (£000) 2007–08 (£000) £000 Percentage 
		
		
			 Bath and North East Somerset 206,371 224,569 34,023 17.9 
			 Bristol North 287,627 312,296 46,649 17.6 
			 Bristol South and West 239,350 258,885 37,583 17.0 
			 Cheltenham and Tewkesbury 181,446 198,605 32,341 19.5 
			 Cotswold and Vale 222,132 240,253 34,858 17.0 
			 Kennet and North Wiltshire 211,111 231,784 38,344 19.8 
			 North Somerset 225,201 251,427 45,126 21.9 
			 South Gloucestershire 250,189 275,190 45,949 20.0 
			 South Wiltshire 145,066 156,897 22,757 17.0 
			 Swindon 223,813 243,943 37,330 18.1 
			 West Gloucestershire 266,091 292,350 48,551 19.9 
			 West Wiltshire 134,671 150,935 31,015 25.9 
		
	
	Comparisons between allocations rounds cannot be made, for the following reasons:
	revenue allocations were made to health authorities for the period 2000–01 to 2002–03;
	changes are made to the weighted capitation formula for each allocations round, therefore, comparisons would not be on a like with like basis;
	2003–06 revenue allocations were made direct to PCTs, for the first time, and were on a three yearly basis; and
	2006–08 is the first year that primary medical services were incorporated onto revenue allocations.
	Capital allocations to PCTs in Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire SHA are shown in the table. Capital allocations for 2006–07 have not yet been announced.
	
		
			£000 
			  Operational capital allocation 
			 PCT 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 
		
		
			 Bath and North East Somerset 1,164 1,245 1,333 
			 Bristol North 153 174 197 
			 Bristol South and West 180 205 232 
			 Cheltenham and Tewkesbury 177 189 202 
			 Cotswold and Vale 692 741 800 
			 Kennet and North Wilts 1,124 1,202 1,286 
			 North Somerset 102 109 116 
			 South Gloucestershire 122 131 140 
			 South Wiltshire 33 35 38 
			 Swindon 224 239 256 
			 West Gloucestershire 255 272 292 
			 West Wiltshire 488 522 559

Podiatrists

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many vacancies there were within the NHS for podiatrists on average in (a) 2003, (b) 2004 and (c) 2005;
	(2)  how many NHS podiatrists successfully completed their training in (a) 2003, (b) 2004 and (c) 2005;
	(3)  how many people began training in podiatry in (a) 2003, (b) 2004 and (c) 2005.

Liam Byrne: Information on the number of people beginning or completing training in podiatry is not available centrally.
	Information on the number of training places commissioned in chiropody and podiatry from 2002–03 to 2004–05 is shown in the table.
	
		Commissioned training places in chiropody and podiatry
		
			  Number of training places 
		
		
			 2002–03 427 
			 2003–04 451 
			 2004–05 559 
		
	
	Notes:
	QMR=NMET quarterly monitoring reports
	Source:
	QMR Q4, Department of Health
	Information on the number and rate of vacancies for chiropodists/podiatrists lasting three months or more in each of the last three years is shown in the table.
	
		Three-month vacancy rate and number for all chiropodists/podiatrists in England as at 31 March 2003–05
		
			  Number Percentage 
		
		
			 2005 97 3.0 
			 2004 60 1.9 
			 2003 37 1.3 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Three month vacancies are vacancies which trusts are actively trying to fill, which had lasted for three months or more (full-time equivalents).
	2. Three month vacancy rates are three month vacancies expressed as a percentage of three month vacancies plus staff in post.
	Source:
	NHS Vacancy Survey
	There has been considerable growth in the national health service chiropody/podiatry workforce. In September 2004, there were 3,941 qualified NHS chiropodists/podiatrists; this represents an increase of 655 or 20 per cent. since 1997.

Sex Offenders

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many individuals whose names appear on the (a) Protection of Children Act list and (b) Protection of Vulnerable Adults list are employed by (i) NHS organisations and (ii) social services departments; and how many individuals employed by (A) NHS organisations and (B) social services departments have committed an offence listed under Schedule 1 to the Sex Offenders Act 1997.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 19 January 2006
	The responsibility for carrying out pre-employment checks, including Criminal Records Bureau, Protection of Children Act and Protection of Vulnerable Adults checks where applicable, rests with the relevant employer, whether a national health service organisation or social services department or other regulated provider of health or social care. The NHS is required to follow the guidance, "Safer Recruitment" issued in May 2005 which covers all the pre and post-appointment checks that NHS employers are required to make before appointing anyone—including employees, volunteers, students and trainees—to a position in the NHS. In regulated social care, providers must comply with regulations on pre-employment checks made under the Care Standards Act 2000 which came into force in April 2002.
	Part two of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 replaced part one of the Sex Offenders Act 1997 and schedule three to the 2003 Act came into force on 1 May 2004. The Act requires convicted sex offenders to report each year to their local police and inform the police if they change their name and address within three days instead of the previous 14 days.
	The Department does not hold information about NHS and social care employees of the kind requested.

Treatment Costs

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average cost was per patient per bed of treatment in (a) the Royal Shrewsbury hospital, (b) the Princess Royal hospital in Telford and (c) the community hospital in (i) Bridgnorth, (ii) Ludlow and (iii) Bishop's Castle in (A) 2003, (B) 2004 and (C) 2005.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 20 December 2005
	There is no data collected centrally at individual patient per bed level. Data is collected on a finished consultant episode basis and at national health service trust level, within which one or more hospitals will operate.

Department of Agriculture and Rural Development

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Department of Agriculture and Rural Development staff are engaged in a monitoring role for each leader company in Northern Ireland; and at what cost in the last period for which figures are available.

Angela Smith: The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development's Rural Development Division (RDD) has 2 Monitoring Officers, which equates to 1.8 full time equivalent posts. In 2005 the 12 Local Action Groups (LAGs), which deliver LEADER+ funding, received one monitoring visit each. This visit was comprised of the following:
	two days preparation
	one day visit to the LAG
	four days resolving outstanding issues and preparing a report.
	This is a cost per LAG of £792.51.

Ministerial Meetings

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many meetings with his officials have been requested (a) by officials in the Fisheries Division of his Department and (b) by Lord Rooker since his appointment as Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development; and how many briefings he (i) has requested from officials in the Fisheries Division and (ii) has received.

Angela Smith: Officials are always available to meet Ministers as and when necessary. Lord Rooker has met with officials at their request, on at least five occasions and once at the request of the Minister. The Minister has received briefing on more than 30 occasions. All of these have been initiated with fisheries officials in line with their duty to keep the Minister informed in issues of significance.

New School Buildings

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which (a) primary and (b) post-primary schools in the (i) controlled and (ii) maintained sectors in East Londonderry constituency are scheduled to have new school buildings within the next 10 years.

Angela Smith: In the East Londonderry constituency, there are currently 11 schemes in planning, four of which have been approved for funding—one controlled primary school scheme (Carnalridge), one maintained primary rationalisation scheme (Dungiven, Largy and Burnfoot), one controlled post-primary scheme (Coleraine college) and one controlled special schools amalgamation scheme (Glasvey and Limegrove).
	There are seven schemes that have been identified by the relevant school authorities to the Department of Education as requiring a major capital works scheme and have been assessed by the Department as having a need for a scheme. These are currently in various stages of planning and the progressing of these schemes will be dependent on the availability of resources, and the planning, procurement and construction work required. These schemes are:
	Controlled primary
	Ballykelly
	Maintained primary
	St. Canice's, Dungiven
	Crossroads, Kilrea
	St. Patrick's, Portrush
	Integrated primary
	Millstrand, Portrush
	Controlled post-primary
	Coleraine High School
	Voluntary grammar school
	Dominican College, Portstewart
	The relevant school authorities have also identified to the Department within their five-year plans the following schools for future assessment.
	Controlled primary
	Drumachose, Limavady
	Millburn, Coleraine
	Killowen, Coleraine
	Macosquin, Coleraine
	Portstewart
	Gorran, Aghadowey
	Culcrow, Aghadowey
	Cullycapple, Aghadowey
	Maintained post-primary
	St. Patrick's High School, Dungiven
	In examining all proposals for new school buildings it will be important that in a situation of falling pupil numbers that schools are assessed as being viable in the longer term before funding approval is given.

Re-offending

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Northern Ireland who have served a prison sentence have been convicted of a further subsequent offence and re-imprisoned in each of the last five years.

David Hanson: The table shows the number of offenders who have been discharged from prison and reconvicted with a subsequent custodial sentence. A two year reconviction period is the standard adopted in reconviction studies. Thus, those offenders discharged from prison during 2001 are followed up for a two year period to determine if a valid reconviction has occurred. Data for 2002 (i.e. reconvictions to 31 December 2004) is currently being validated.
	
		Offenders discharged from prison and reconvicted within two years—2001
		
			  Number Percentage 
		
		
			 Total prison discharges 703 — 
			 Reconvicted within two years  (any disposal, including prison) 317 45.1 
			 Reconvicted within two years  (subsequent prison sentence) 133 14.7

Schools

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what guidance the Department for Education, issues to schools about the employment of ex-offenders.

Angela Smith: In 1999 the Department of Education issued the document "Pastoral Care in Schools: Child Protection" but has not issued any specific guidance to schools on the employment of ex-offenders. I have asked that this is done as a matter of urgency working with the Children's Commissioner and NSPCC. Currently employers can and do take advice from the police, social services, the Probation Service, the ELBs' Child Protection officers and the Department if they are in any doubt about how to proceed in any given case.

Tourism

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps his Department is taking to encourage tourism in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: Responsibility for promoting tourism in Northern Ireland is shared between the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB), which provides strategic direction, and Tourism Ireland Ltd. (TIL) which markets Northern Ireland as part of the island of Ireland in key overseas markets.
	NITB's Strategic Framework for Action 2004–2007 provides the basis for its activities. These include the development of five Signature Projects which will provide anchor tourist attractions across Northern Ireland. In addition, NITB is developing a series of "Winning Themes" which include the promotion of business, activity and cultural tourism. These initiatives will be marketed aggressively by NITB within the island of Ireland and by TIL overseas.

Websites

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  if he will list the websites that come under his Department's responsibility; what the cost was of each in the last year for which figures are available; and how many visitors there were to each site in that year;
	(2)  when he will reply to question 15900, tabled by the hon. Member for Brent, East on 21 July.

Peter Hain: I apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in providing this response. This was due to an administrative error.
	The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) is responsible for three websites, the NIO website, Organised Crime Task Force (OCTF) website, and the Criminal Justice Services Northern Ireland (CJSNI) website. Associated costs for each website and number of visitors for the period January 2005 to December 2005 are as follows:
	
		
			 Website Design costs (£) Yearly maintenance costs (£) Number of unique visitors (January to December 2005) 
		
		
			 Northern Ireland Office 0 7,200 156,457 
			 
			 Organised Crime Task Force 11,406.90 400 21,811 
			 
			 Criminal Justice ServicesNorthern Ireland 3,507.51 3,305 7,374

Audible Fire Alarms

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of the premises occupied by her Department is fitted with audible fire alarms.

Maria Eagle: All premises occupied by the Department have audible fire alarms or sounders, i.e. fire bells.

Academies

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the civil servants in her Department's new projects remit who are responsible for action in respect of academies; what the (a) grade and (b) role in the Department is of each; and if she will list the actions they undertake in respect of academies.

Jacqui Smith: The disclosure of the names of civil servants in the Academies Group's New Projects Unit is not compatible with the principles of the Data Protection Act. I have therefore given the grades and responsibilities of those staff in the following table:
	
		
			 Title Grade Role/actions 
		
		
			 Head of New Projects Grade 5 Head of Unit; Oversight of sponsor brokering; allocates academy projects to Project Leads; reports to Ministers on progress towards 2010 target. 
			 Project Lead (x2) Grade 7 Lead official on early academy project negotiations; supporting development of formal expression of interest progressing to submission for ministerial approval. 
			 Team Leader—Internal Relations Grade 7 Management of New Projects Office; correspondence and briefing; NPU contact for internal Dept policy meetings. 
			 Team Leader—External Relations Grade 7 Management of sponsor relations; lead official on due diligence policy; liaison with Specialist Schools and Academies Trust. 
			 Assistant Project Lead (X2) Higher Executive Officer Support to Project lead. 
			 Internal Relations/Sponsor Support Higher Executive Officer Support to Heads of Internal and External Relations. 
			 Ministerial Priorities Fast Streamer Direct support to Minister, Director of Academies and Head of NPU briefing on potential academy projects and leading on early academy project negotiations.

Child Care

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time child care places have been available in each year since 1997, broken down by area.

Beverley Hughes: The Department is unable to provide details of part-time child care places available as such data has not been collected.
	A list of child care places available broken down by local authority since 2003 is as follows.
	
		Child care places
		
			  March 
			 Local authority 2003 2004 2005 
		
		
			 Barking and Dagenham 1,987 2,244 2,316 
			 Barnet 6,371 6,666 7,567 
			 Barnsley 2,367 3,038 3,465 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 3,223 3,346 3,741 
			 Bedfordshire 7,840 8,766 8,427 
			 Bexley 2,981 3,440 3,739 
			 Birmingham 22,378 24,927 26,106 
			 Blackburn UA 2,714 3,693 4,078 
			 Blackpool UA 3,091 3,435 3,693 
			 Bolton 5,856 6,901 7,202 
			 Bournemouth UA 2,514 3,311 4,141 
			 Bracknell Forest UA 3,312 3,592 3,403 
			 Bradford 7,837 9,251 10,077 
			 Brent 4.281 4,955 5,208 
			 Brighton and Hove UA 5,276 5,758 6,211 
			 Bristol 8,024 9,026 8,993 
			 Bromley 5,008 5,737 6,237 
			 Buckinghamshire 11,043 12,254 12,907 
			 Bury 5,797 6,348 6,835 
			 Calderdale 4,862 5,493 6,097 
			 Cambridgeshire 13,509 15,106 16,116 
			 Camden 4,486 4,719 4,600 
			 Cheshire 17,026 18,605 19,485 
			 City Of London 308 430 475 
			 Cornwall 6,984 8,520 9,390 
			 Coventry 6,437 7,203 7,806 
			 Croydon 7,299 8,046 9,434 
			 Cumbria 6,121 8,456 9,474 
			 Darlington UA 2,371 2,666 2,829 
			 Derby UA 5,510 6,149 6,355 
			 Derbyshire 11,828 12,773 13,916 
			 Devon 13,694 14,425 15,407 
			 Doncaster 3,478 4,423 5,275 
			 Dorset 5,894 6,372 7,036 
			 Dudley 4,528 4,880 5,094 
			 Durham 7,078 7,998 8,534 
			 Ealing 5,795 6,574 6,989 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 5,818 6.510 6,523 
			 East Sussex 8,190 10,040 10,667 
			 Enfield 4,275 4,670 4,887 
			 Essex 21,064 22,213 23,281 
			 Gateshead 3,343 3,806 4,395 
			 Gloucestershire 14,174 14,358 14,759 
			 Greenwich 4,485 5,097 5,473 
			 Hackney 2,908 3,455 5,106 
			 Halton UA 1,960 3,164 3,327 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 2,835 3,158 3,799 
			 Hampshire 27,288 31,769 33,592 
			 Haringey 2,493 3,330 3,926 
			 Harrow 2,905 3,397 3,456 
			 Hartlepool UA 1,474 2,007 2,433 
			 Havering 2,445 2,904 3,373 
			 Herefordshire 4,126 4,498 4,530 
			 Hertfordshire 23,256 26,983 28,254 
			 Hillingdon 4,971 5,226 5,111 
			 Hounslow 3,311 3,637 4,190 
			 Isle Of Wight 3,159 3,385 3,620 
			 Isles Of Scilly 187 111 110 
			 Islington 4,325 4,567 4,903 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 3,023 3,289 3,405 
			 Kent 24,589 27,943 30,754 
			 Kingston Upon Hull 3,515 4,035 4,340 
			 Kingston Upon Thames 2,932 3,428 3,778 
			 Kirklees 7,585 8,466 9,068 
			 Knowsley 2,763 3,239 3,826 
			 Lambeth 4,551 5,641 6,268 
			 Lancashire 22,538 26,391 29,008 
			 Leeds 15,776 16,178 17,001 
			 Leicester UA 5,886 6,028 6,216 
			 Leicestershire 12,125 13,857 14,485 
			 Lewisham 4,683 5,712 6,163 
			 Lincolnshire 12,129 13,828 14,484 
			 Liverpool 7,396 9,006 10,062 
			 Luton UA 2,286 3,184 3,726 
			 Manchester 9,723 11,101 11,325 
			 Medway 5,122 5,856 6,298 
			 Merton 3,821 4,554 4,883 
			 Middlesbrough 3,129 2,983 3,235 
			 Milton Keynes UA 5,874 6,536 7,682 
			 NE Lincolnshire 1,578 2,199 2,597 
			 Newcastle Upon Tyne 4,710 5,338 5,515 
			 Newham 3,886 5,078 5,263 
			 Norfolk 10,674 13,435 14,023 
			 North Lincolnshire 2,028 2,420 2,746 
			 North Somerset 3,084 3,766 4,326 
			 North Tyneside 2,776 4,067 3,962 
			 North Yorkshire 11,793 13,593 13,717 
			 Northamptonshire 12,813 14,827 16,416 
			 Northumberland 5,636 6,391 6,877 
			 Nottingham UA 6,234 6,725 6,854 
			 Nottinghamshire 15,819 18,180 18,262 
			 Oldham 4,542 6,148 6,473 
			 Oxfordshire 16,221 18,276 18,514 
			 Peterborough UA 4,554 5,569 5,972 
			 Plymouth 4,656 5,567 5,981 
			 Poole UA 2,216 2,501 2,580 
			 Portsmouth UA 4,432 5.002 5,631 
			 Reading 3,656 4,614 4,619 
			 Redbridge 3,538 4,129 5,180 
			 Redcar and Cleveland UA 1,903 2,560 2,554 
			 Richmond Upon Thames 4,354 4,777 5,344 
			 Rochdale 4,957 5,662 5,334 
			 Rotherham 3,297 3,875 3,954 
			 Rutland UA 787 951 1,070 
			 Salford 4,589 5,392 5,504 
			 Sandwell 4,276 4,907 4,813 
			 Sefton 3,573 4,472 4,719 
			 Sheffield 9,732 11,460 12,489 
			 Shropshire 6,118 6,893 7,320 
			 Slough UA 2,187 2,080 2,575 
			 Solihull 5,644 5,672 6,060 
			 Somerset 9,846 10,635 10,815 
			 South Gloucestershire 5,070 5,540 6,072 
			 South Tyneside 1,934 3,746 3,195 
			 Southampton UA 3,755 5,220 5,387 
			 Southend UA 2,342 3,166 3,276 
			 Southwark 6,156 7,162 8,481 
			 St. Helens 2,534 3,045 4,028 
			 Staffordshire 18,482 21,321 22,463 
			 Stockport 6,322 6,915 7,361 
			 Stockton-On-Tees UA 2,810 3,607 4,049 
			 Stoke-On-Trent 4,544 5,150 5,560 
			 Suffolk 8,504 11,430 12,802 
			 Sunderland 3,155 3,645 4,317 
			 Surrey 26,021 27,856 28,921 
			 Sutton 3,108 3,568 4,228 
			 Swindon 4,406 5,133 5,400 
			 Tameside 4,564 5,252 5,810 
			 Telford And Wrekin UA 4,540 4,733 4,476 
			 Thurrock UA 1,861 2,565 2,660 
			 Torbay UA 1,691 2,385 2,491 
			 Tower Hamlets 2,688 3,343 3,538 
			 Trafford 6,693 7,459 7,229 
			 Wakefield 3,466 4,260 5,099 
			 Walsall 3,885 4,757 4,665 
			 Waltham Forest 5,189 5,555 5,501 
			 Wandsworth 7,338 8,209 8,410 
			 Warrington UA 6,233 7,176 7,025 
			 Warwickshire 11,931 13,086 14,183 
			 West Berks 5,055 4,687 5,373 
			 West Sussex 13,865 15,491 17,007 
			 Westminster 3,093 3,300 3,058 
			 Wigan 5,528 6,681 7,122 
			 Wiltshire 10,871 11,500 12,464 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead UA 3,817 4,370 4,710 
			 Wirral 6,403 6,888 7,203 
			 Wokingham UA 5,112 5,100 5,486 
			 Wolverhampton 4,317 4,522 5,024 
			 Worcestershire 12,739 14,451 14,365 
			 York UA 4,149 4,186 4,393

Child Care

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what responses she has received to the consultation on expanding the home child carers scheme.

Beverley Hughes: The consultation "Childcare: extending protection and broadening support" closed on 16 August 2004 with 149 responses having been received. Overall the majority of respondents agreed with the proposals. Details of the responses can be found on the DfES consultation website at: http://www.dfes.gov.uk/consultations/conResults.cfm? consultationld=1247

Class Sizes

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average spending per child in primary schools was in each local education authority in each year since 1997.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 20 January 2006
	The information requested is contained within the following table:
	
		Pre-primary and primary school based expenditure(69)(70)(71) per pupil(72) (1997–98 to 2004–05)(73)(74)(75)(76)
		
			  1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000* 
			  Pre-primary and primary education Pre-primary and primary education Primary education Pre-primary and primary education 
		
		
			 England 1,740 1,870 2,010 2,050 
			 Barking and Dagenham 1,970 2,160 2,250 2,270 
			 Barnet 1,860 1,960 2,390 2,410 
			 Barnsley 1,560 1,680 1,840 1,860 
			 Bath and NE Somerset 1,720 1,820 2,010 2,060 
			 Bedfordshire 1,750 1,780 1,970 2,000 
			 Berkshire 1,610 — — — 
			 Bexley 1,590 1,770 1,930 1,960 
			 Birmingham 1,940 2,200 2,260 2,370 
			 Blackburn with Darwen — 1,840 2,000 2,120 
			 Blackpool — 1,690 1,870 1,890 
			 Bolton 1,750 2,000 2,000 2,030 
			 Bournemouth 1,480 1,700 1,820 1,850 
			 Bracknell Forest — 1,620 1,880 1,900 
			 Bradford 2,140 2,240 1,980 2,020 
			 Brent 2,030 2,190 2,470 2,510 
			 Brighton and Hove 1,550 1.750 1,850 1,940 
			 Bromley 1,720 1,910 2,010 2,040 
			 Buckinghamshire 1,630 1,700 1,840 1,840 
			 Bury 1,490 1,640 1,780 1,800 
			 Calderdale 1,660 1,860 1,950 1,960 
			 Pre LGR Cambridgeshire 1,580 — — — 
			 Cambridgeshire — 1,6404 1,810 1,840 
			 Camden 2,390 2,520 2,440 2,750 
			 Pre LGR Cheshire 1,710 — — — 
			 Cheshire — 1,770 1,780 1,790 
			 City of Bristol 1,810 1,930 2,200 2,270 
			 City of Kingston-Upon-Hull 1,680 1,940 1,980 2,000 
			 City of London 3,810 3,970 4,180 4,510 
			 City of Nottingham — 1,950 2,090 2,120 
			 City of Peterborough — 1,830 1,590 1,650 
			 City of Plymouth — 1,700 1,940 1,960 
			 Cornwall 1,670 1,820 1,900 1,930 
			 Coventry 1,800 1,970 2,190 2,220 
			 Croydon 1,910 2,010 2,130 2,180 
			 Cumbria 1,860 1,880 2,050 2,070 
			 Darlington 1,420 1,570 1,790 1,860 
			 Derby 1,670 1,850 1,940 1,990 
			 Derbyshire 1,580 1,730 1,820 1,840 
			 Pre LGR Devon 1,630 — — — 
			 Devon — 1,730 1,950 1,980 
			 Doncaster 1,890 1,930 2,070 2,070 
			 Dorset 1,640 1,780 1,870 1,890 
			 Dudley 1,570 1,790 1,980 2,010 
			 Durham 1,690 1,810 2,050 2,100 
			 Ealing 2,020 2,170 2,220 2,310 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 1,610 1,620 1,790 1,810 
			 East Sussex 1,670 1,800 1,910 1,930 
			 Enfield 1,900 2,040 2,230 2,260 
			 Pre LGR Essex 1,740 — — — 
			 Essex — 1,950 1,970 1,970 
			 Gateshead 1,700 1,800 1,950 1,970 
			 Gloucestershire 1,640 1,800 1,850 1,960 
			 Greenwich 2,190 2,410 2,590 2,690 
			 Hackney 2,420 2,490 2,740 2,980 
			 Halton — 1,870 2,030 2,090 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 2,520 2,560 2,920 3,050 
			 Hampshire 1,700 1,760 1,960 1,970 
			 Haringey 2,360 2,490 2,460 2,550 
			 Harrow 2,140 2,260 2,320 2,430 
			 Hartlepool 1,500 1,650 1,760 1,780 
			 Havering 1,750 1,840 1,960 1,970 
			 Hereford and Worcester 1,660 — — — 
			 Herefordshire — 1,780 1,840 1,850 
			 Hertfordshire 1,760 1,880 1,930 1,960 
			 Hillingdon 1,730 1,770 2,100 2,110 
			 Hounslow 2,060 2,240 2,340 2,380 
			 Isle of Wight 1,800 2,000 2,190 2,230 
			 Isles of Scilly 2,560 2,570 2,510 2,520 
			 Islington 2,340 2,330 2,370 2,520 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 2,650 2,750 2,960 3,050 
			 Pre LGR Kent 1,700 — — — 
			 Kent — 1,860 2,140 2,210 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 1,830 1,940 2,070 2,110 
			 Kirklees 1,650 1,850 2,020 2,060 
			 Knowsley 1,700 1,870 2,120 2,120 
			 Lambeth 2,810 2,930 2,710 3,020 
			 Pre LGR Lancashire 1,670 — — — 
			 Lancashire — 1,820 1,950 1,980 
			 Leeds 1,710 1,910 2,100 2,120 
			 Leicester city 1,740 1,910 2,130 2,150 
			 Leicestershire 1,660 1,810 1,930 2,000 
			 Lewisham 2,340 2,510 2,560 2,710 
			 Lincolnshire 1,680 1,740 1,870 1,870 
			 Liverpool 1,660 1,840 1,970 1,980 
			 Luton 1,700 1,830 2,040 2,080 
			 Manchester 1,620 1,740 1,920 1,950 
			 Medway — 1,790 1,970 1,930 
			 Merton 2,060 2,160 2,220 2,260 
			 Middlesbrough 1,580 1,620 1,920 1,920 
			 Milton Keynes 1,610 1,770 1,960 2,030 
			 Newcastle-upon-Tyne 1,940 1,960 2,060 2,120 
			 Newham 1,850 2,010 2,200 2,290 
			 Norfolk 1,710 1,730 1,800 1,810 
			 North East Lincolnshire 1,600 1,830 2,060 2,140 
			 North Lincolnshire 1,650 1,710 1,880 1,900 
			 North Somerset 1,690 1,870 1,880 1,890 
			 North Tyneside 1,640 1,800 1,860 1,920 
			 North Yorkshire 1,650 1,750 1,980 1,990 
			 Northamptonshire 1.580 1,720 1,910 1,930 
			 Northumberland 1,620 1,810 1,960 2,000 
			 Pre LGR Nottinghamshire 1,720 — — — 
			 Nottinghamshire — 1,810 2,010 2,030 
			 0ldham 1,650 1,820 2,040 2,100 
			 0xfordshire 1,630 1,750 1,830 1,870 
			 Poole 1,510 1,600 1,700 1,710 
			 Portsmouth 1,780 1,940 2,170 2,220 
			 Reading — 1,670 1,660 1,710 
			 Redbridge 1,810 1,880 2,070 2,080 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 1,630 1,790 2,000 2,010 
			 Richmond-upon-Thames 1,940 2,020 2,110 2,120 
			 Rochdale 1,680 1,770 1,900 1,960 
			 Rotherham 1,580 1,780 2,050 2,080 
			 Rutland 1,890 2,130 2,160 2,190 
			 Salford 1,560 1,630 1,990 2,010 
			 Sandwell 1,850 2,040 2,110 2,120 
			 Sefton 1,590 1,670 1,840 1,850 
			 Sheffield 1,680 1,760 1,960 2,090 
			 Pre LGR Shropshire 1,680 — — — 
			 Shropshire — 1,830 1,880 1,910 
			 Slough — 2,070 2,130 2,340 
			 Solihull 1,630 1,770 1,920 1,930 
			 Somerset 1,700 1,820 1,930 1,950 
			 South Gloucestershire 1,650 1,780 1,900 1,920 
			 South Tyneside 1,560 1,760 1,920 1,950 
			 Southampton 1,830 1,960 2,140 2,160 
			 Southend — 1,870 2,040 2,040 
			 Southwark 2,330 2,520 2,730 2,850 
			 St Helens 1,600 1,700 2,000 2,030 
			 Staffordshire 1,580 1,670 1,850 1,860 
			 Stockport 1,570 1,750 1,860 1,890 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 1,450 1,610 1,970 2,000 
			 Stoke 1,600 1,810 1,970 2,030 
			 Suffolk 1,770 1,900 2,000 2,060 
			 Sunderland 1,660 1,830 1,950 2,030 
			 Surrey 1,780 1,910 1,960 2,040 
			 Sutton 1,870 2,030 2,230 2,270 
			 Swindon 1,580 1,620 1,580 1,590 
			 Tameside 1,590 1,720 1,640 1,650 
			 Telford and Wrekin — 1,670 1,700 1,770 
			 Thurrock — 1,800 2,060 2,070 
			 Torbay — 1,680 1,860 1,880 
			 Tower Hamlets 2,600 2,770 3,090 3,140 
			 Trafford 1,580 1,710 1,830 1,840 
			 Wakefield 1,560 1,710 1,890 1,930 
			 Walsall 1,630 1,790 2,030 2,070 
			 Waltham Forest 2,110 2,160 2,430 2,560 
			 Wandsworth 2,210 2,390 2,530 2,700 
			 Warrington — 1,740 1,880 1,900 
			 Warwickshire 1,670 1,780 1,910 1,930 
			 West Berkshire — 1,760 1,950 1,980 
			 West Sussex 1,730 1,860 1,950 2,020 
			 Westminster 2,590 2,860 2,810 2,900 
			 Wigan 1,520 1,610 1,900 1,920 
			 Wiltshire 1,690 1,740 1,720 1,720 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead — 1,860 2,020 2,050 
			 Wirral 1,600 1,810 1,810 1,840 
			 Wokingham — 1,650 1,800 1,820 
			 Wolverhampton 1,750 1,870 2,000 2,040 
			 Worcestershire — 1,720 1,830 1,840 
			 York 1,600 1,730 1,760 1,800 
		
	
	
		
			  2000–01 2001–02 
			  Primary education Pre-primary and primary education Primary education Pre-primary and primary education 
		
		
			 England 2,210 2,280 2,480 2,570 
			 Barking and Dagenham 2,450 2,490 2,880 2,940 
			 Barnet 2,350 2,390 2,640 2,710 
			 Barnsley 1,980 2,020 2,250 2,350 
			 Bath and NE Somerset 2,180 2,250 2,240 2,380 
			 Bedfordshire 2,260 2,350 2,550 2,700 
			 Berkshire — — — — 
			 Bexley 2,070 2,090 2,320 2,350 
			 Birmingham 2,460 2,580 2,730 2,860 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 2,260 2,410 2,560 2,750 
			 Blackpool 2,200 2,210 2,390 2,450 
			 Bolton 2,260 2,290 2,500 2,560 
			 Bournemouth 2,020 2,070 2,270 2,340 
			 Bracknell Forest 2,120 2,120 2,330 2,330 
			 Bradford 2,270 2,340 2,780 2,860 
			 Brent 2,550 2,600 2,910 2,950 
			 Brighton and Hove 2,050 2,210 2,330 2,430 
			 Bromley 2,170 2,220 2,440 2,490 
			 Buckinghamshire 1,800 1,800 1,950 1,960 
			 Bury 2,010 2,040 2,180 2,220 
			 Calderdale 2,160 2,170 2,400 2,410 
			 Pre LGR Cambridgeshire — — — — 
			 Cambridgeshire 2,020 2,070 2,280 2,330 
			 Camden 2,650 3,040 3,140 3,690 
			 Pre LGR Cheshire — — — — 
			 Cheshire 1,880 1,900 2,060 2,100 
			 City of Bristol 2,380 2,620 2,450 2,720 
			 City of Kingston-Upon-Hull 2,270 2,290 2,760 2,800 
			 City of London 4,520 4,740 4,630 4,630 
			 City of Nottingham 2,260 2,310 2,800 2,860 
			 City of Peterborough 2,220 2,340 2,360 2,420 
			 City of Plymouth 2,150 2,200 2,440 2,510 
			 Cornwall 2,030 2,070 2,270 2,340 
			 Coventry 2,400 2,430 2,770 2,820 
			 Croydon 2,350 2,390 2,780 2,870 
			 Cumbria 2,240 2,270 2,550 2,550 
			 Darlington 1,930 2,010 2,290 2,390 
			 Derby 2,170 2,330 2,610 2,840 
			 Derbyshire 2,020 2,040 2,250 2,290 
			 Pre LGR Devon — — — — 
			 Devon 2,060 2,090 2,260 2,300 
			 Doncaster 2,230 2,240 2,520 2,550 
			 Dorset 2,140 2,160 2,350 2,400 
			 Dudley 2,170 2,240 2,420 2,520 
			 Durham 2,290 2,340 2,600 2,660 
			 Ealing 2,370 2,500 2,720 2,890 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 2,160 2,200 2,300 2,350 
			 East Sussex 2,130 2,170 2,390 2,440 
			 Enfield 2,400 2,470 2,740 2,840 
			 Pre LGR Essex — — — — 
			 Essex 2,240 2,250 2,460 2,480 
			 Gateshead 2,220 2,260 2,300 2,410 
			 Gloucestershire 2,170 2,340 2,260 2,510 
			 Greenwich 2,830 2,990 3,210 3,430 
			 Hackney 3,310 3,860 3,160 3,480 
			 Halton 2,110 2,130 2,560 2,630 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 3,020 3,260 3,220 3,360 
			 Hampshire 2,150 2,160 2,370 2,380 
			 Haringey 2,590 2,780 3,080 3,440 
			 Harrow 2,490 2,540 2,890 2,990 
			 Hartlepool 2,070 2,090 2,550 2,620 
			 Havering 2,200 2,230 2,390 2,430 
			 Hereford and Worcester — — — — 
			 Herefordshire 2,130 2,150 2,330 2,390 
			 Hertfordshire 2,100 2,140 2,370 2,410 
			 Hillingdon 2,200 2,220 2,430 2,470 
			 Hounslow 2,470 2,530 2,820 2,880 
			 Isle of Wight 2,480 2,550 2,730 2,830 
			 Isles of Scilly 2,640 2,640 2,970 3,880 
			 Islington 2,720 3,030 3,020 3,280 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 3,270 3,380 3,440 3,600 
			 Pre LGR Kent — — — — 
			 Kent 2,220 2,320 2,520 2,670 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 2,270 2,280 2,630 2,650 
			 Kirklees 2,240 2,340 2,460 2,520 
			 Knowsley 2,300 2,350 2,510 2,580 
			 Lambeth 2,730 2,940 2,730 2,970 
			 Pre LGR Lancashire — — — — 
			 Lancashire 2,160 2,220 2,450 2,530 
			 Leeds 2,000 2,040 2,600 2,660 
			 Leicester city 2,390 2,460 2,640 2,730 
			 Leicestershire 2,080 2,160 2,260 2,420 
			 Lewisham 2,680 2,970 3,120 3,370 
			 Lincolnshire 1,990 2,000 2,070 2,090 
			 Liverpool 2,540 2,580 2,770 2,860 
			 Luton 2,590 2,650 2,700 2,800 
			 Manchester 2,250 2,280 2,650 2,680 
			 Medway 2,230 2,240 2,450 2,500 
			 Merton 2,400 2,450 2,690 2,770 
			 Middlesbrough 2,210 2,230 2,540 2,570 
			 Milton Keynes 2,040 2,140 2,450 2,600 
			 Newcastle-upon-Tyne 2,260 2,350 2,570 2,670 
			 Newham 2,460 2,590 2,930 3,090 
			 Norfolk 1,970 2,030 2,350 2,470 
			 North East Lincolnshire 2,330 2,480 2,590 2,740 
			 North Lincolnshire 2,200 2,330 2,540 2,590 
			 North Somerset 2,070 2,090 2,090 2,130 
			 North Tyneside 1,770 1,810 2,240 2,320 
			 North Yorkshire 2,060 2,070 2,350 2,370 
			 Northamptonshire 2,160 2,180 2,340 2,390 
			 Northumberland 2,200 2,260 2,450 2,560 
			 Pre LGR Nottinghamshire — — — — 
			 Nottinghamshire 2,220 2,240 2,410 2,430 
			 0ldham 2,090 2,190 2,500 2,630 
			 0xfordshire 2,230 2,280 2,510 2,540 
			 Poole 1,820 1,730 2,060 2,080 
			 Portsmouth 2,260 2,330 2,480 2,580 
			 Reading 1,700 1,750 2,010 2,070 
			 Redbridge 2,280 2,290 2,610 2,660 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 2,090 2,110 2,420 2,470 
			 Richmond-upon-Thames 2,380 2,430 2,690 2,750 
			 Rochdale 2,100 2,270 2,420 2,570 
			 Rotherham 2,360 2,400 2,620 2,700 
			 Rutland 2,260 2,320 2,570 2,680 
			 Salford 2,300 2,380 2,560 2,630 
			 Sandwell 2,190 2,210 2,510 2,540 
			 Sefton 2,050 2,080 2,240 2,290 
			 Sheffield 2,260 2,410 2,500 2,66 
			 Pre LGR Shropshire — — — — 
			 Shropshire 1,990 2,020 2,250 2,300 
			 Slough 2,400 2,600 2,560 2,760 
			 Solihull 2,090 2,110 2,250 2,260 
			 Somerset 2,140 2,240 2,360 2,510 
			 South Gloucestershire 2,190 2,200 2,340 2,370 
			 South Tyneside 2,160 2,220 2,580 2,660 
			 Southampton 2,360 2,400 2,570 2,610 
			 Southend 2,220 2,230 2,530 2,560 
			 Southwark 2,980 3,070 3,760 3,810 
			 St Helens 2,190 2,240 2,410 2,470 
			 Staffordshire 2,070 2,110 2,290 2,360 
			 Stockport 2,180 2,230 2,370 2,410 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 2,190 2,250 2,440 2,560 
			 Stoke 2,080 2,150 2,400 2,510 
			 Suffolk 2,220 2,290 2,420 2,560 
			 Sunderland 2,180 2,280 2,470 2,620 
			 Surrey 2,160 2,270 2,380 2,430 
			 Sutton 2,430 2,510 2,640 2,700 
			 Swindon 2,030 2,030 2,000 2,030 
			 Tameside 1,970 2,010 2,420 2,500 
			 Telford and Wrekin 2,060 2,200 2,320 2,440 
			 Thurrock 2,050 2,160 2,540 2,710 
			 Torbay 2,080 2,090 2,260 2,290 
			 Tower Hamlets 3,350 3,400 3,670 3,820 
			 Trafford 2,190 2,220 2,360 2,400 
			 Wakefield 2,100 2,160 2,450 2,490 
			 Walsall 2,200 2,260 2,450 2,560 
			 Waltham Forest 2,480 2,560 3,080 3,140 
			 Wandsworth 2,900 3,100 3,220 3,480 
			 Warrington 1,980 1,990 2,220 2,250 
			 Warwickshire 1,990 2,020 2,190 2,240 
			 West Berkshire 2,210 2,270 2,560 2,650 
			 West Sussex 2,200 2,270 2,360 2,500 
			 Westminster 3,390 3,680 3,780 4,180 
			 Wigan 2,330 2,340 2,480 2,500 
			 Wiltshire 1,920 1,930 2,010 2,020 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 2,480 2,560 2,600 2,710 
			 Wirral 2,030 2,060 2,400 2,450 
			 Wokingham 1,980 2,010 2,210 2,270 
			 Wolverhampton 2,070 2,120 2,390 2,500 
			 Worcestershire 2,060 2,090 2,320 2,370 
			 York 1,860 1,870 2,180 2,260 
		
	
	
		
			  2002–03* 2003–04 2004–05 
			  Primary education Primary education Primary education 
		
		
			 England 2,530 2,750 2,910 
			 Barking and Dagenham 2,760 3,110 3,150 
			 Barnet 2,820 3,050 3,280 
			 Barnsley 2,550 2,680 2,910 
			 Bath and NE Somerset 2,480 2,670 2,850 
			 Bedfordshire 2,540 2,710 2,830 
			 Berkshire — — — 
			 Bexley 2,390 2,630 2,810 
			 Birmingham 2,720 2,940 3,200 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 2,540 2,730 2,910 
			 Blackpool 2,370 2,660 2,880 
			 Bolton 2,410 2,620 2,760 
			 Bournemouth 2,390 2,520 2,670 
			 Bracknell Forest 2,390 2,580 2,730 
			 Bradford 2,770 2,960 3,070 
			 Brent 2,780 3,080 3,230 
			 Brighton and Hove 2,480 2,660 2,820 
			 Bromley 2,400 2,590 2,690 
			 Buckinghamshire 2,350 2,600 2,740 
			 Bury 2,220 2,460 2,660 
			 Calderdale 2,490 2,750 2,940 
			 Pre LGR Cambridgeshire — — — 
			 Cambridgeshire 2,350 2,560 2,720 
			 Camden 3,610 3,950 4,120 
			 Pre LGR Cheshire — — — 
			 Cheshire 2,340 2,540 2,640 
			 City of Bristol 2,510 2,720 2,860 
			 City of Kingston-Upon-Hull 2,670 2,930 2,990 
			 City of London 4,780 5,250 4,990 
			 City of Nottingham 2,930 3,260 3,410 
			 City of Peterborough 2,530 2,740 2,890 
			 City of Plymouth 2,430 2,610 2,800 
			 Cornwall 2,440 2,640 2,810 
			 Coventry 2,630 2,870 3,010 
			 Croydon 2,710 2,890 3,060 
			 Cumbria 2,560 2,740 2,870 
			 Darlington 2,380 2,640 2,710 
			 Derby 2,430 2,730 2,940 
			 Derbyshire 2,350 2,480 2,630 
			 Pre LGR Devon — — — 
			 Devon 2,370 2,620 2,790 
			 Doncaster 2,530 2,720 2,860 
			 Dorset 2,340 2,610 2,790 
			 Dudley 2,310 2,620 2,760 
			 Durham 2,590 2,810 3,000 
			 Ealing 2,830 3,210 3,330 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 2,430 2,580 2,760 
			 East Sussex 2,460 2,660 2,830 
			 Enfield 2,730 3,090 3,270 
			 Pre LGR Essex — — — 
			 Essex 2,570 2,750 2,900 
			 Gateshead 2,470 2,680 2,850 
			 Gloucestershire 2,310 2,620 2,720 
			 Greenwich 3,080 3,280 3,530 
			 Hackney 3,280 3,810 4,010 
			 Halton 2,580 2,740 2,910 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 3,260 3,600 3,800 
			 Hampshire 2,480 2,690 2,850 
			 Haringey 3,110 3,440 3,590 
			 Harrow 2,720 2,950 3,100 
			 Hartlepool 2,430 2,660 2,840 
			 Havering 2,490 2,730 2,920 
			 Hereford and Worcester — — — 
			 Herefordshire 2,410 2,600 2,780 
			 Hertfordshire 2,420 2,630 2,780 
			 Hillingdon 2,480 2,710 2,920 
			 Hounslow 2,840 3,060 3,160 
			 Isle of Wight 2,690 2,840 3,000 
			 Isles of Scilly 8,030 6,620 7,280 
			 Islington 3,150 3,590 3,760 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 3,550 3,990 4,160 
			 Pre LGR Kent — — — 
			 Kent 2,400 2,630 2,770 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 2,600 2,950 3,110 
			 Kirklees 2,580 2,850 3,060 
			 Knowsley 2,620 2,850 3,010 
			 Lambeth 3,520 3,880 4,110 
			 Pre LGR Lancashire — — — 
			 Lancashire 2,520 2,780 2,900 
			 Leeds 2,610 2,840 3,010 
			 Leicester city 2,520 2,760 2,990 
			 Leicestershire 2,190 2,420 2,580 
			 Lewisham 3,230 3,590 3,800 
			 Lincolnshire 2,260 2,450 2,600 
			 Liverpool 2,720 2,970 3,100 
			 Luton 2,660 2,910 3,100 
			 Manchester 2,740 2,930 3,030 
			 Medway 2,560 2,830 3,050 
			 Merton 2,890 3,100 3,200 
			 Middlesbrough 2,530 2,790 2,980 
			 Milton Keynes 2,340 2,630 2,760 
			 Newcastle-upon-Tyne 2,470 2,670 2,840 
			 Newham 2,880 3,270 3,630 
			 Norfolk 2,500 2,660 2,770 
			 North East Lincolnshire 2,570 2,730 2,920 
			 North Lincolnshire 2,480 2,670 2,840 
			 North Somerset 2,270 2,490 2,650 
			 North Tyneside 2,410 2,590 2,760 
			 North Yorkshire 2,470 2,710 2,890 
			 Northamptonshire 2,280 2,600 2,720 
			 Northumberland 2,470 2,720 2,940 
			 Pre LGR Nottinghamshire — — — 
			 Nottinghamshire 2,500 2,740 2,900 
			 0ldham 2,430 2,600 2,740 
			 0xfordshire 2,460 2,690 2,790 
			 Poole 2,430 2,530 2,620 
			 Portsmouth 2,780 2,950 3,070 
			 Reading 2,430 2,640 2,730 
			 Redbridge 2,500 2,700 2,830 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 2,490 2,780 2,940 
			 Richmond-upon-Thames 2,650 2,900 3,030 
			 Rochdale 2,370 2,760 2,910 
			 Rotherham 2,380 2,600 2,820 
			 Rutland 2,540 2,840 2,950 
			 Salford 2,480 2,830 2,920 
			 Sandwell 2,530 2,760 3,010 
			 Sefton 2,530 2,830 2,980 
			 Sheffield 2,430 2,620 2,780 
			 Pre LGR Shropshire — — — 
			 Shropshire 2,330 2,560 2,600 
			 Slough 2,630 2,810 2,990 
			 Solihull 2,260 2,460 2,580 
			 Somerset 2,430 2,610 2,810 
			 South Gloucestershire 2,330 2,460 2,610 
			 South Tyneside 2,540 2,820 2,970 
			 Southampton 2,640 2,940 3,170 
			 Southend 2,590 2,730 2,860 
			 Southwark 3,470 3,660 3,970 
			 St Helens 2,500 2,590 2,790 
			 Staffordshire 2,280 2,490 2,620 
			 Stockport 2,260 2,460 2,720 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 2,430 2,610 2,810 
			 Stoke 2,320 2,640 2,730 
			 Suffolk 2,520 2,740 2,920 
			 Sunderland 2,470 2,660 2,840 
			 Surrey 2,490 2,640 2,790 
			 Sutton 2,470 2,640 2,870 
			 Swindon 2,240 2,440 2,630 
			 Tameside 2,480 2,610 2,750 
			 Telford and Wrekin 2,290 2,430 2,660 
			 Thurrock 2,680 2,810 2,940 
			 Torbay 2,370 2,580 2,730 
			 Tower Hamlets 3,850 4,150 4,300 
			 Trafford 2,250 2,390 2,500 
			 Wakefield 2,480 2,690 2,810 
			 Walsall 2,430 2,610 2,770 
			 Waltham Forest 2,910 3,230 3,390 
			 Wandsworth 3,170 3,470 3,630 
			 Warrington 2,270 2,510 2,630 
			 Warwickshire 2,390 2,560 2,670 
			 West Berkshire 2,500 2,680 2,840 
			 West Sussex 2,430 2,610 2,780 
			 Westminster 3,430 3,620 3,800 
			 Wigan 2,400 2,620 2,780 
			 Wiltshire 2,340 2,550 2,670 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 2,550 2,710 2,870 
			 Wirral 2,520 2,640 2,730 
			 Wokingham 2,340 2,550 2,650 
			 Wolverhampton 2,430 2,580 2,810 
			 Worcestershire 2,330 2,540 2,740 
			 York 2,390 2,560 2,680 
		
	
	(69) School based expenditure includes only expenditure incurred directly by the schools. This includes the pay of teachers and school-based support staff, school premises costs, books and equipment, and certain other supplies and services, less any capital items funded from recurrent spending and income from sales, fees and charges and rents and rates. This excludes the central cost of support services such as home to school transport, local authority administration and the financing of capital expenditure.
	(70) 1999–2000 saw a change in data source when the data collection moved from the RO1 form collected by the 0DPM to the Section 52 form from the DfES. 2002–03 saw a further break in the time series following the introduction of Consistent Financial Reporting (CFR) and the associated restructuring of the outturn tables. The change in sources is shown by an asterisk. In 2002–03 school based expenditure is taken from Section 52 Outturn Table A line 51 net current expenditure (NCE). For 2001–02 and earlier years the expenditure is calculated as lines one to 12 less lines 29, 30, 35 and 37. This differs from the old Net Institutional Expenditure (NIE) calculation only in the treatment of meals and milk which is no longer excluded and no adjustments for balances are now made. This is taken from Section 52 0utturn Table 3 for 1999–2000 to 2001–02 and from the RO1 form previously.
	(71) The calculation for 2002–03 onwards is broadly similar to the calculation in previous years. However, 2001–02 and earlier years includes all premature retirement compensation (PRC) and Crombie payments, mandatory PRC payments and other indirect employee expenses. In 2001–02 this accounted for approximately £70 per pupil. From 2002–03 onwards only the schools element of these categories is included and this accounted for approximately £50 per pupil of the 2002–03 total. Also, for some LAs, expenditure that had previously been attributed to the school sectors was reported within the LA part of the form from 2002–03, though this is not quantifiable from existing sources.
	(72) Pupil numbers include only those pupils attending maintained establishments within each sector and are drawn from the DfES Annual Schools Census adjusted to be on a financial year basis.
	(73) Local government reorganisation (LGR) took place during the mid to late 1990s and those LAs that did not exist either pre or post LGR are represented by '—' for those years.
	(74) Spending in 1997–98 reflects the transfer of monies from local government to central Government for the nursery vouchers scheme. These were returned to local government from 1998–99.
	(75) The 1999–2000 figures reflect the return of GM schools to local authority maintenance. Consequently LAs where there entire pupil provision were educated in GM schools will show a unit cost of zero prior to 1999–2000.
	(76) Expenditure was not distinguished between the pre-primary and primary sectors until the inception of Section 52 for financial year 1999–2000.
	Note:
	Figures are as reported by the LEA in cash terms and rounded to the nearest 10.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she will reply to the letter dated 30 November 2005 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Mr. A. Diamond.

Jacqui Smith: I replied to the hon. Member's letter on 9 January.

Dedicated Schools Grant

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the purpose is of the Dedicated Schools Grant; how much will be spent on this in each of the next three years; how much will be received by each local authority; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: The data I placed in the Library to accompany my written statement of 7 December 2005 on the School Funding Settlement for 2006–07 and 2007–08, sets out how much Dedicated Schools Grant each authority will receive for those years. Allocations of DSG for 2008–09 will be announced after the comprehensive spending review has been completed, expected to be in summer 2007.

Dedicated Schools Grant

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the direct schools grant per pupil is in (a) Shropshire and (b) England; and what assessment she has made of the adequacy of Shropshire local education authority's direct schools grant.

Jacqui Smith: The following table sets out the guaranteed level of Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) per pupil for Shropshire and England for 2006–07 and 2007–08.
	
		Dedicated Schools Grant per pupil £
		
			  2006–07 2007–08 
		
		
			 Shropshire 3,338.62 3,550.86 
			 England 3,642.98 3,888.20 
		
	
	The levels in the table represent increases of 6.6 per cent. and 6.4 per cent. per pupil for 2006–07 and 2007–08 respectively. Those increases will allow Shropshire authority to meet the minimum funding guarantee for all its schools, while also allowing it to put substantial resources into the Government priorities of greater personalisation of learning at Key Stage 2 and 3, more practical learning options for 14 to 16-year-old pupils, work force reform in the primary sector and the increased entitlement to early years provision from 33 to 38 weeks. The increases will also provide the authority with headroom to target on local priorities, and will ensure that it has scope to begin to respond to the conclusions of the review of deprivation funding, ensuring that schools in our most deprived communities and areas benefit from sufficient resource to meet the pressures and challenges they face.

Drop-out Rates

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which 10 (a) further and (b) higher education institutions had the (i) highest and (ii) lowest drop-out rate in the last period for which figures are available.

Bill Rammell: For higher education institutions, the latest available information on projected non-completion rates for students starting full-time first degree courses in 2002/03 is shown in the following table. The overall non-completion rate for all English HE institutions was 13.9 per cent., compared to 15.7 per cent. in 1996/97.
	
		Percentage of UK domiciled full-time first degree students expected neither to obtain an award nor transfer 2002/03
		
			  Percentage 
		
		
			 Highest non-completion rates:  
			 Bolton Institute of Higher Education 31.9 
			 The University of Derby 27.0 
			 The University of Sunderland 26.8 
			 The University of East London 26.0 
			 London South Bank University 25.6 
			 Middlesex University 25.1 
			 Thames Valley University 25.0 
			 The University of Greenwich 25.0 
			 London Metropolitan University 24.7 
			 Liverpool Hope University College 23.6 
			   
			 Lowest non-completion rates:  
			 Birmingham College of Food, Tourism and  Creative Studies 0.0 
			 University of London (institutes and activities) 0.0 
			 The Royal Veterinary College 0.0 
			 The University of Cambridge 1.0 
			 Courtauld Institute of Art 1.3 
			 The University of Oxford 2.3 
			 Royal College of Music 2.7 
			 University of Durham 3.7 
			 Imperial College of Science, Technology and  Medicine 3.7 
			 The University of Bath 3.9 
		
	
	Source:
	"Performance Indicators in Higher Education", published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). For 2002/03, the projected outcomes summarise the pattern of movements of students at institutions between 2002/03 and 2003/04 and give the outcomes that would have been expected from starters in 2002/03 if progression patterns for the years after 2003/04 were to remain unchanged. The published HESA data show the proportion of entrants who are projected to: obtain a qualification (either a first degree or another undergraduate award); transfer to another HEI; neither obtain a qualification nor transfer (i.e. fail to complete the course).
	The Learning and Skills Council does not collect data on drop out rates from FE colleges. Instead they collect data on learner retention rates. The learner retention rate is the proportion of qualification aims for which all learning activities were completed. Retention rates for individual colleges can be downloaded from the LSC website (http://benchmarkingdata.lsc.gov.uk/year8/index.cfm)
	The overall learner retention rate for all FE colleges combined was 85 per cent. in 20003/04, the latest year for which final data are available. For the middle 80 per cent. of colleges the retention rate lay in the range 78 per cent. to 91 per cent.
	The 10 colleges with the highest retention rates were:
	
		
			  Percentage 
		
		
			 Northern College for Residential Adult Education 99 
			 Plater College 97 
			 Fircroft College of Adult Education 97 
			 Ruskin College 97 
			 King Edward VI College, Stourbridge 96 
			 Hills Road Sixth Form College 96 
			 Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College 96 
			 St Dominic's Sixth Form College 96 
			 The Sixth Form College, Farnborough 95 
			 Pershore Group of Colleges 95 
		
	
	The 10 colleges with the lowest retention rates were:
	
		
			  Percentage 
		
		
			 Salisbury College 61 
			 Otley College of Agriculture and Horticulture 62 
			 North East Surrey College of Technology 67 
			 Widnes and Runcorn Sixth Form College 69 
			 Newark and Sherwood College 70 
			 Milton Keynes College 72 
			 Leeds College of Music 72 
			 Isle College FE Corporation 72 
			 Thames Valley University 72 
			 Joseph Priestley College 73 
		
	
	Retention rates are highly dependent on the mix of qualifications done at a college. A college that does few short courses and many full courses is likely to get a relatively low retention rate, simply because the national retention rate for short courses is relatively high and the national retention rate for full courses is relatively low.
	FE College retention rates and HE institution non-completion rates are collected in different ways and are not comparable.

Dyslexia

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills at what age children can be tested for dyslexia; and what types of test are available.

Maria Eagle: There is no set age at which children can or should be tested for dyslexia. Being a spectrum disorder, dyslexia can present a range of characteristics that can vary considerably from person to person. It is therefore uncertain that universal screening to test for dyslexia, particularly in the early years, would prove sufficiently discriminating to pick out those children most at risk of persisting difficulties.
	Schools and local authorities must have regard to the SEN code of practice, which gives practical advice on carrying out statutory duties to identify, assess and make suitable provision for children with SEN, including with dyslexia. The precise arrangements for any screening or assessment are, however, for local determination.
	Through our primary national strategy, we have issued guidance for teachers, which has a specific focus on dyslexia. Professional development materials, "Learning and teaching for children with dyslexia", include a checklist of early indicators for potential dyslexia. "Playing with sounds", deals with the early teaching of phonics and includes guidance on early identification and support for children who demonstrate the phonological difficulties often associated with dyslexia.

Dyslexia

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children who were removed or excluded from their school because of behavioural problems were (a) dyslexic and (b) subsequently diagnosed as dyslexic in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: The requested information is not collected centrally. However the number of pupils permanently excluded with all types of special educational needs is shown in the table.
	
		Maintained primary, secondary and all special schools (77)(78)—number of permanent exclusions by special educational needs (SEN)—England, 2003/04 (Estimates) (79)
		
			  Permanent exclusions Fixed period exclusions 
			  Number of exclusions Percentage of exclusions(80) Percentage of school population(81) Number of exclusions Percentage of exclusions(80) Percentage of school population(81) 
		
		
			 Pupils with statements of SEN 1,040 11 0.44 39,790 12 17.1 
			 Pupils with SEN without statements 5,240 53 0.46 133,290 39 11.7 
			 Pupils with no SEN 3,600 36 0.06 171,420 50 2.7 
			 All pupils (82) 9,880 100 0.13 344,510 100 4.5 
		
	
	(77) Includes middle schools as deemed.
	(78) For permanent exclusions includes both maintained and non-maintained special schools. For fixed period exclusions excludes non-maintained special schools.
	(79) Figures relating to permanent exclusions are estimates based on incomplete pupil level data.
	(80) The number of exclusions expressed as a percentage of the total number of exclusions.
	(81) The number of exclusions by stage of SEN expressed as a percentage of the total number of pupils with same stage of SEN. Excludes dually registered pupils.
	(82) There was one permanent exclusion and 12 fixed period exclusions for which stage of SEN was not known—these were included in total for 'all pupils' only.
	Source:
	Annual Schools Census and Termly Exclusions Survey

Education Expenditure

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what her latest estimate is of the average total cost of Government education spending between the ages of 0 and 21 for a child from (a) the highest and (b) the lowest (i) income decile and (ii) socioeconomic class; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: Estimates are not available on the average total cost of Government education spending between the ages of 0 and 21 by each parental income decile and each socioeconomic class.

Education Expenditure

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what her latest estimate is of per capita public spending on education for each age cohort in England from age three to age 21 years; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: Data on education spending is not collated by age or cohort. The latest and nearest available estimates relate to annual unit funding in each education sector—schools, FE and HE—published in the DfES' Departmental Report for 2005 (Cm 6522). The following table provides estimates of planned unit funding in 2005–06 per school pupil and full-time equivalent (FTE) students in further and higher education: figures in cash terms rounded to nearest £10.
	
		Planned funding per school pupil and FTE student in FE and HE, 2005–06
		
			 £ 
			  2005–06 
		
		
			 Funding per school pupil (ages three to 19) 4,250(83) 
			 Assumed(84) funding per FTE student in FE for participation (excluding capital costs) 4,840(85) 
			 Funding per planned FTE student in HE 4,610(86) 
		
	
	(83) Figure does not include capital and PFI funding. Estimate consistent with Education Standard Spending/Education Funding Formula Spending plus all schools-related revenue grants. Pension transfers are included. Based on FTEs aged three to 19 in maintained schools in England, including three-year-olds funded through state support in maintained and other educational establishments.
	(84) This is an assumed estimate as it is based on assumptions about how much of the total amount of money going to the Learning and Skills Council is spent on further education.
	(85) Figure relates to all FE spending, including for adult participants. Full-time equivalent (FTE) students funded by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) in either further education sector colleges or in external institutions, specialist designated institutions, dance and drama institutions and higher education institutions.
	(86) Funding relates to all DfES revenue grants to support HE in HE institutions and FE colleges in England and excludes expenditure on tuition fees and student maintenance costs. Figure based on planned.

Indoor Airborne Chemicals

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to issue guidelines to schools on acceptable (a) levels and (b) maximum concentrations of indoor airborne chemicals for children aged 4 to 11 years.

Jacqui Smith: DfES will shortly be issuing a new Building Bulletin 101, "Ventilation of School Buildings", see www.teachernet.gov.uk/iaq. This document will give the standards on ventilation for new school buildings for compliance with Approved Document F on Ventilation of the Building Regulations. Its performance standards are based on maximum concentrations of a number of pollutants including relative humidity, carbon monoxide, total volatile organic compounds, nitrogen dioxide and ozone and relate these back to a maximum carbon dioxide concentration and minimum ventilation rate. The new standards will come into force on 1 April 2006 at the same time as the new Approved Document F of the Building Regulations. The new standards are broadly in line with the requirements for minimum ventilation rates for all schools which are laid down in the Education (School Premises) Regulations SI No.2 1999, (http://www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk/si/si1999/19990002.htm)

Indoor Airborne Chemicals

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps she is taking to educate primary school teachers about the possible risks of indoor airborne chemicals.

Jacqui Smith: "Qualifying to teach" sets out the professional standards for qualified teachers. All primary teachers are trained to teach science. The standards include planning and delivering lessons that are safe (Standard 3.1.3 and 3.3.8) and working within the legal and other frameworks that apply to teachers (Standard 1.8). These frameworks include health and safety legislation and advice.

Parenting Fund

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what (a) public, (b) private and (c) voluntary sector organisations have received payments from the Parenting Fund in each year for which figures are available; and how much each sector received.

Beverley Hughes: The Parenting Fund was established to support voluntary and community organisations in supporting parents and families. The fund is administered by the National Family and Parenting Institute which has contracted with PricewaterhouseCoopers to ensure the efficient and effective administration of the fund. The contract with PwC was worth £520,000 for the period 2004 to 2006. The remainder of the Parenting Fund has been allocated wholly to voluntary sector organisations. A list of the organisations benefiting from the fund in the period 2004 to 2006 is as follows:
	ADAPT
	Advisory Centre for Education
	African Community Partnership
	African Families Support Services
	After Adoption
	Alcohol Concern
	Allens Croft Project
	aMAZE
	Ask
	Asperger Norfolk
	Barnardos
	Beyond the Horizon (Spurgeon's Child Care)
	Blackburn with Darwen Education Development Trust
	British Red Cross Family Support Centre
	Broadreach House
	Camden Women's Aid
	Centre for African Development
	Child Action Northwest
	Children North East
	Children's Legal Centre
	Chinese Health Information Centre
	Chrysalis Manchester
	Contact a Family
	ContinYou
	Coram Family
	Croydon Welcare
	Deaf Education through Listening and Talking
	Disabled Parents Network
	Donor Conception Network
	East Lancashire Deaf Society
	Families at Bowthorpe
	Family Group Conference Service
	Family Matters Institute (FMI)
	Family Rights Group
	Family Welfare Association (FWA)
	Fathers Direct
	FPA (Family Planning Association)
	FSU
	FSU Liverpool
	FSU Manchester
	Great Yarmouth Community Trust
	Greenwich Women's Centre
	Groundwork Thames Valley
	Hartcliffe and Withywood Ventures
	Henshaw's Society for Blind People
	Home-Start
	Home-Start Croydon
	Home-Start Leeds
	Home-Start Leicester
	Home-Start Teeside
	Home-Start West Cornwall
	I CAN
	James Wolfe Parents' Association (JWPA)
	KIDS Yorkshire and the Humber
	Lancashire Council of Mosques
	Leeds Animation Workshop
	Leeway Woman's Aid
	Leicestershire Centre for Integrated Living
	Life Education Centres West Midlands
	Liverpool ADHD Project
	Mencap
	Mind in Croydon
	NACRO
	National Association of Child Contact Centres
	National Children's Bureau
	National Council of One Parent Families
	National Family and Parenting Institute
	National Library for the Blind
	National Youth Advocacy Service
	NCH
	NCVCCO
	Newcastle upon Tyne YMCA
	Norfolk and Norwich Families' House
	Nottingham Regional Society for Autism
	One Parent Families
	One Plus One
	PACE
	Parentalk
	Parenting Education and Support Forum (Parenting UK)
	Parentline Plus
	Peers Early Education Partnership (PEEP)
	Positive Parenting Publications and Programmes
	Positive Steps
	Post-Adoption Centre
	Promoting Effective Parenting
	Rainer—Slough Youth Support Service
	Refugee Action
	REU
	Sargent Cancer Care for Children
	Scope
	Single Parent Action Network
	SOVA
	Speke Garston Domestic Violence Project
	Stepping Stones
	Sure Start Burton
	The Anaphylaxis Campaign
	The Asian Health Agency
	The Children's Society
	The Family Centre
	The Family Nurturing Network
	The Fostering Network
	The Laura Centre
	The National Childbirth Trust
	The National Deaf Children's Society
	The National Pyramid Trust
	The nia project
	The Parenting Education and Support Forum
	The Place2Be
	The Women's Centre for Blackburn and District
	Trust for the Study of Adolescence
	Turning Point
	Turning Point Women's Centre Ltd.
	Twins and Multiple Births Association
	Winston's Wish—for bereaved children
	YMCA England
	Yorkshire Band of Hope Union (YBHU)
	Young Minds
	Youth Access
	YWCA Bristol Young Women's Centre
	YWCA England and Wales
	2005 to 2007; The Policy Research Bureau in association with the Tavistock Institute will receive £600,000 to conduct an evaluation of the Parenting Fund and the Fundholder model.

Pupil Funding

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the (a) mean, (b) median and (c) mode annual funding per pupil is for each local education authority in 2005–06; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: The data for mean and median values for Dedicated Schools Grant per pupil across all local authorities are set out in the following table for 2006–07 and 2007–08. There is no modal value for DSG per pupil in either of those years, since each authority has a unique value of DSG per pupil.
	
		
			   £ 
			  2006–07 2007–08 
		
		
			 Mean DSG per pupil 3,642.98 3,888.20 
			 Median DSG per pupil 3,578.40 3,822.00

Schools White Paper

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the (a) workload and (b) time commitments for (i) governors and (ii) chairs of governing bodies of trust schools under the proposals in the Schools White Paper.

Jacqui Smith: On average, governors will spend 6 to 8 hours per month on governing body business and chairs of governors will spend at least twice as much time. We would expect a similar commitment in future Trust schools.

Science Graduates

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students graduated in the academic year 2004/05 in (a) pure chemistry, (b) pure physics, (c) electrical engineering, (d) mechanical engineering and (e) avionics; and how many graduated in each subject (i) five, (ii) 10 and (iii) 20 years ago.

Bill Rammell: The latest available information is given in the table. Data for 20 years ago is not available at this level of detail.
	
		First degree qualifiers from English HE institutions
		
			 Subject 1994/95 1999/2000 2004/05(91)(92) 
		
		
			 Medicine and dentistry 4,190 4,570 5,855 
			 Subjects allied to medicine 8,515 13,300 20,295 
			 Biological sciences 9,590 14,680 21,900 
			 Veterinary sciences 300 390 505 
			 Agricultural and related sciences 1,380 1,790 1,795 
			 Physical sciences 11,215 10,840 10,185 
			 Of which:
			 Chemistry 3,395 2,835 2,260 
			 Physics 2,090 1,935 1,925 
			 Mathematical sciences 3,380 3,500 4,375 
			 Computing sciences 7,055 9,655 17,170 
			 Engineering and Technology 18,245 16,990 15,730 
			 of which:
			 Electrical Engineering (up to 2001/02) 815 795 n/a 
			 Electronic and Electrical Engineering (2002/03 onwards) n/a n/a 4,545 
			 Mechanical Engineering 2,815 2,945 2,650 
			 Aeronautical Engineering (up to 2001/ 02) 615 710 n/a 
			 Aerospace Engineering (2002/03 onwards) n/a n/a 1,050 
			 Architecture, building and planning 6,715 4,965 4,945 
			 Total non-science subjects 125,605 137,325 148,265 
			 Total all subjects 196,195 217,995 251,045 
		
	
	n/a = not applicable
	(91) In 2002/03 a new coding frame for subject of study was introduced, as was a new method of allocating students between subjects studied. As such, figures for 2002/03 onwards are not directly comparable to earlier years.
	2 Figures for 2004/05 include students qualifying from dormant modes of study. In 2004/05 there were just under 10,000 first degree students who qualified from dormant modes of study.
	Figures have been rounded to the nearest 5.
	Source:
	Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) student record

Special Educational Needs

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of pupils permanently excluded from school had special educational needs in the last year for which figures are available.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 17 January 2006
	The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Maintained primary, secondary and all special schools(92)(93): Number of permanent exclusions by special educational needs (SEN)—2003/04 (estimates)(94)—England
		
			  Permanent exclusions 
			  Number of exclusions Percentage of permanent exclusions(95) Percentage of school population(96) 
		
		
			 Pupils with statements of SEN 1,040 11 0.44 
			 Pupils without statements of SEN 8,840 89 0.12 
			 Of which:
			 SEN pupils without statements 5,240 53 0.46 
			 Pupils with no SEN 3,600 36 0.06 
			 All pupils(97) 9,880 100 0.13 
		
	
	(92) Includes middle schools as deemed.
	(93) Includes both maintained and non-maintained special schools.
	(94) Figures relating to permanent exclusions are estimates based on incomplete pupil-level data.
	(95) The number of permanent exclusions expressed as a percentage of the total number of permanent exclusions.
	(96) The number of excluded pupils by SEN stage expressed as a percentage of all pupils with the same SEN stage in primary, secondary and all special schools (excludes dually registered pupils) in January.
	(97) There was one permanent exclusion for which stage of SEN was not known—this is included in total for 'all pupils' only.
	Note:
	Totals may not appear to equal the sum of component parts because numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.
	Source:
	Annual Schools' Census

Special Educational Needs

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much was spent as a proportion of total budget by each local education authority in Greater London on special needs education in each of the last seven years.

Jacqui Smith: The available information is contained within the following table. Similar data are not available before 2000–01.
	
		
			 Local authority name 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 
		
		
			 Barking and Dagenham 14 13 13 14 15 15 
			 Barnet 11 16 14 15 17 15 
			 Bexley 9 14 12 14 14 15 
			 Brent 16 14 15 15 15 15 
			 Bromley 17 17 16 16 17 23 
			 Camden 12 11 12 12 14 14 
			 City of London 12 11 12 14 15 14 
			 Croydon 15 13 10 11 11 12 
			 Ealing 18 17 16 16 18 17 
			 Enfield 12 12 11 16 15 14 
			 Greenwich 15 15 13 14 15 14 
			 Hackney 16 15 13 14 15 15 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 18 17 17 16 20 19 
			 Haringey 11 10 11 13 13 16 
			 Harrow 10 6 11 11 12 12 
			 Havering 18 17 16 17 17 17 
			 Hillingdon 13 14 14 16 15 14 
			 Hounslow 12 13 12 12 14 13 
			 Islington 13 12 11 15 13 15 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 13 13 12 14 13 14 
			 Kingston upon Thames 15 14 14 13 14 13 
			 Lambeth 13 13 12 13 13 13 
			 Lewisham 12 13 15 15 17 16 
			 London 17 14 12 14 16 16 
			 Merton 9 9 8 8 8 8 
			 Newham 14 14 14 14 14 13 
			 Redbridge 13 13 13 15 14 15 
			 Richmond upon Thames 14 14 15 14 15 14 
			 Southwark 17 16 16 16 16 17 
			 Sutton 13 13 13 14 14 16 
			 Tower Hamlets 10 10 10 11 12 11 
			 Waltham Forest 11 14 12 14 15 14 
			 Wandsworth 14 14 15 15 16 16 
			 Westminster 12 12 14 12 13 14 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. 2000–01 saw a change in data source when the data collection moved from the RA form collected by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to the section 52 form from the DfES. Therefore data are only available in a comparable format from 2000–01 onwards.
	2. The ISB for special schools will include some general education costs for pupils with SEN in addition to those costs specifically for SEN while the figures recorded against "notional SEN" are only indicative of the amount that might by spent by schools on SEN and, from 2004–05 onwards, "notional SEN" delegated to nursery schools was reported on section 52 for the first time and this accounts for £2.7 million and £3.3 million of the 2004–05 and 2005–06 London totals respectively. In 2005–06, local authorities in London also budgeted £90 million for SEN transport expenditure but this is not included in the above table as figures are not available prior to 2005–06.
	3. Includes planned expenditure on the provision for pupils with statements and the provision for non-statemented pupils with SEN, support for inclusion, inter authority recoupment, fees for pupils at independent special schools and abroad, educational psychology service, local authority functions in relation to child protection, therapies and other health related services, parent partnership, guidance and information, the monitoring of SEN provision and inclusion administration, assessment and co-ordination. Also included is the funding delegated to primary and secondary schools identified as "notional SEN" and the individual schools budget (ISB) for special schools.

State Schools

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of pupils of (a) primary school and (b) secondary school age in the Bristol local education authority area are educated within the state school system.

Jacqui Smith: The requested information is given in the following table.
	
		All schools: full-time equivalent number of pupils by age group(98)(99). , as at January 2005, Bristol local education authority area
		
			  Pupils aged(98) 
			  Five to 10 11 to 15 
			  Number Percentage Number Percentage 
		
		
			 Maintained nursery 17 0.1 0 0.0 
			 Maintained primary 24,076 92.2 18 0.1 
			 Maintained secondary 0 0.0 15,107 72.6 
			 Maintained special 208 0.8 382 1.8 
			 Pupil referral units(100) 5 0.0 91 0.4 
			 Total maintained schools 24,306 93.1 15,597 74.9 
			 Independent 1,806 6.9 4,313 20.7 
			 City technology colleges and academies 0 0.0 906 4.4 
			 Non-maintained special n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Total other school types 1,806 6.9 5,219 25.1 
			  
			 Total all schools 26,112 100.0 20,816 100.0 
		
	
	n/a = not applicable, no schools of this type.
	(98) Age as at 31 August 2004.
	(99) Excludes dually registered pupils.
	(100) Includes pupils with other providers.
	Source:
	Annual Schools Census